Jay Sekulow talks potential special counsel on FISA abuses
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This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," March 8, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: All right, Tucker. Thank you.
Welcome to HANNITY.
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Huge breaking news tonight: President Trump scoring a big win and possibly averting a major global nuclear crisis tonight with North Korea. The president, in fact, accepting an invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un by May and North Korea agreeing to stop nuclear and missile testing and the sanctions continue in the meantime.
We'll have our opening monologue in just a few minutes.
But, first, joining us from the White House with the very latest on how this all came to be is our own John Roberts.
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John, big surprise for a lot of people, big term I thought was used is denuclearization.
JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, the president says that this is not about a freeze. It's about denuclearization. We knew something was up, Sean, when the president for the very first time poked his head in the Brady briefing room at about 5:30. He got may be his nose and two toes and that's about it.
But he told us in the briefing room that South Korea was going to have a major announcement this evening about North Korea. Then we heard what the South Koreans had to say.
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The president tweeting about it tonight saying, quote: Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean representative, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain in effect until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned.
And here is the extraordinary announcement by South Korea's national security advisor Chung Eui-young here at the White House shortly after 7:00. Listen.
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CHUNG EUI-YONG, SOUTH KOREAN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: I thank President Trump that he and his maximum pressure policy, together with international solidarity brought us to this juncture. He expressed his eagerness in meeting President Trump as soon as possible. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May.
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ROBERTS: Now, shortly after that, the National Security Council held a conference call to kind of walk us through the background of all of this and where it goes from here. Asked why the president didn't start with lower level talks, the National Security Council spokesperson said other administrations have tried lower level talks with North Korea and they have gone nowhere. So, the president thought that he would jump in with both feet here.
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Also, that President Trump will not reward North Korea next change for talks but said he would meet and he expects North Korea to put action to the words that they conveyed tonight.
Sean, one of the big questions left to answer is, where are they going to meet? I highly doubt that they would meet in North Korea. I highly doubt that they would meet here.
There is an area in South Korea, in the North Korean border where they could meet, which is actually where Kim Jong Un is going to meet with Moon Jae-in, the president of South Korea. It's a little place just in the South Korean side, to the border of Panmunjom called Peace House, or maybe they could meet somewhere else. All of that is being decided.
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What's really interesting about all of this, Sean, is the fact that the president was so widely criticized for taking the approach that he was taking toward North Korea and all of the rhetoric that was flying around calling Kim Jong Un little rocket man, saying, my nuclear button is bigger than yours, and Kim Jong Un responded by calling the president a fat dotard -- well, you never thought that was going to go anywhere except lead to nuclear war which a lot of experts did. And now, here, we sit on the verge of talks between the president and Kim Jong Un.
I remember back in November when we were in Vietnam with President Trump, I was sitting in my seat at a press conference at the presidential palace in Hanoi when my phone rang. It was the president who was on the phone. We talked for a while and talk turned to North Korea. The president said to me, John, everybody thinks I'm trying to start a war with North Korea. He said I'm not. I'm trying to prevent a war.
And this might be an indication first step down the road that the president is, in fact, trying to prevent a war and not start one as so many of his critics believe.
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Lindsey Graham had some words of caution for Kim Jong Un tonight saying, quote, a word of warning to North Korean President Kim Jong Un, worse possible thing you can do is meet with President Trump in person and try to play him. If you do that, it will be the end of you and your regime.
Tough words from Lindsey Graham tonight -- Sean.
HANNITY: All right. Historic day by any measure. I will have a lot more. That call is very insightful. I will address that in my opening monologue in a few minutes.
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But joining us now first with more on this major breaking news live at the Pentagon tonight.
Jennifer Griffin, turns out a lot of people might have been taken off guard and from what I hear -- well, Secretary Mattis had to come out of an important meeting.
JENNIFER GRIFFIN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Sean. And I have spoken to several very senior leaders here in the Pentagon tonight who have welcomed what they're describing as a potential breakthrough when it comes to North Korea and its nuclear program. Kim's offer to denuclearize is being viewed as potentially historic. There is no downside to talking, one senior U.S. military leader who has been tasked with preparing for a possible preemptive military strike told me. It's good news. People should be happy.
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The Pentagon was caught flat-footed as you mentioned by the announcement tonight. Spokesman and aides scrambled here at the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had to be pulled out of an offsite retreat with senior civilian Pentagon leaders. He had to leave the meeting with news broke from the White House.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was in Africa saying earlier today talks were premature.
U.S. military exercises with South Korea will go ahead as planned in April. In the past, Kim Jong Un had demanded a freeze for freeze. He views these annual exercises as a dry run for an invasion to overthrow his regime.
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I just got off the phone with one senior U.S. military leader who said tonight's announcement is the result of the president's maximum pressure campaign on North Korea. President Trump has moved the needle more than any president before him. The proof will be in the pudding. But this is a breakthrough. It's significant this defense official told me.
This is a very different tone, Sean, from what we heard from top intelligence officials. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Lieutenant General Robert Ashley, the head of military intelligence on the Hill two days ago, they were skeptical when asked about Kim's offer at the two-day summit between South Korea leaders Kim Jong-un and Pyongyang.
But, tonight, the Pentagon's top leaders are welcoming the news if the real goal is denuclearization of the peninsula. Until then, they tell me they will keep the pressure on -- Sean.
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HANNITY: All right. Jennifer, as always, thank you.
Joining me now with reaction, former deputy assistant to the president, Fox News national security strategist, Sebastian Gorka, and former Secret Service agent, NRA TV contributor, Dan Bongino.
Dr. Gorka, we start with you.
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You know, everybody that has been so critical, oh, rocket man. I can assure and I will address this in my monologue tonight, I can assure the world that he is not going to be offering $150 billion in cash and other foreign currencies. Nor will he be offering what Bill Clinton gave Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, and that was energy and billions of dollars.
SEBASTIAN GORKA, FOX NEWS NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGIS: It's truly incredible, Sean, what a massive difference one election makes. We have an administration that's not going to kowtow to evil regimes. It's not going to fund terrorist regimes as you rightly pointed out with the JCPOA Iran deal.
American leadership is back. We have a president who has walked the walk, talked the talk, and carried a very large stick. He stood up to this Stalinist dictatorship in North Korea. And what's happened in a matter of just a few months, they've backed down and they want to talk after decades and decades of appeasement.
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This is the vindication of the president's foreign policy. After the crushing of ISIS, this is perhaps the biggest foreign policy win that we have seen. And it's less than a year and a half into the administration.
This is a problem that has plagued the West, plagued the Pacific region for decades. And, finally, there is hope of resolution.
Remember, what Reagan said, trust be verify, but we are on the way to stabilizing the peninsula.
HANNITY: Well said.
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And, Dan Bongino, by showing strength and a commitment, one thing that I don't think a lot of people have understood is the affect, the impact, these sanctions have had. China, the president's relationship with China has put a lot of pressure. And China has withdrawn a lot of their financial support and trade as it relates to North Korea. That has played a part in it.
And also, America's military force in the region as shown by the president. It was no question what the consequences would be if Kim Jong Un continued what he was doing in firing these missiles. He was precipitating a crisis.
The president would strike. It would have happened. It was inevitable.
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DAN BONGINO, NRATV CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely. Sean, a couple points on this. You know, one of the lessons a lot of these hostile geopolitical actors learned around the world after the Iraq War was never ever go to war with the United States without nuclear weapons. You will be annihilated and annihilated quickly.
Well, the Kim regime learned from that and they have been holding the threat of nuclear war like a gun to the head of the world now for years. But think about what happened. They took advantage of our predictability on this, Sean, and we have been predictable through Democrat and Republican administrations.
Then, we get a Queen's builder in office who drops a couple DEFCON 1 level tweets in there. He's entirely unpredictable and, all of the sudden, they want to chat about denuclearization. I think Trump deserves even from his liberal haters and they are many and legion in the media, deserves a little bit of credit for what Dr. Gorka said and he is right a major, major foreign policy breakthrough.
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HANNITY: You know, very predictably, Dr. Gorka, the left only seems to like it if we are bowing and kissing the rings of murdering dictators and offering them bribes. While offering bribes with Bill Clinton and Kim Jong Il didn't work. It's not going to work with the mullahs in Tehran.
And this president took a different response. And it absolutely sent the media in this country, they were apoplectic over the fact that he called little rocket man, little rocket man. Make fun of him, yes, our weapons actually work and we have a lot more than you do and you are going to pay a very severe price.
But the one consistent thing that we sees a we look through history is that capitulation and appeasement never works. Peace through strength. It's not just a slogan. It is a philosophy. And the only way to get respect is to stand strong in the face of tyranny.
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GORKA: Right. As we did twice during the 20th century and American saved Western civilization, saved Judeo-Christian civilization from the Nazis, and then the communist. I just want to see the headlines tomorrow, Sean, in 'The New York Times', 'The Washington Post,' on CNN, in 'The Huffington Post', that they're going to eat crow because the president's policies worked.
Do you know what the real irony is? Guess who got the Nobel Peace Prize in the man who flamed out with his policy, Barack Obama.
Who deserves a Peace Prize right now? It's Donald Trump for what he is bringing to the Korean peninsula. That's the truth.
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HANNITY: Let me go, Dan Bongino to the actual statement. I think this is really profound and I brought this up with John Roberts. And John Roberts insight into the president -- I'm not trying to start a war. I want peace here.
But peace doesn't begin by begging dictators to be nice to us. We are nice to you and bribe you will you please be nice back. But this is bigger than just stopping the nuclear testing and the missile testing that's been going on. This is about denuclearization.
And in the meantime, the joint exercises continue with South America and our allies. In the meantime, the sanctions continue. The president has given up nothing. And it seems like little rocket man blinked and blinked big time tonight because it's been working and he sees this as a real threat.
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BONGINO: He does see it as a real threat. You know, strength matters. Don't expect anybody in the left in the media, Sean, to give him any credit for this. As we saw with Reagan and his crushing Soviet Union, they went after Reagan, not the Soviet Union. Just like they did, by the way, when they went after Trump when he went after the North Korean leader, a sworn enemy of the United States, you know, the left and the media spend inordinate amount of time fighting fake enemies, inanimate statues and things like that, and leaving the real enemies of the United States alone.
But I think Dr. Gorka is right. I think there is going to be a whole lot of servings of crow getting ready to be served tomorrow to the media on the left. This is unquestionable a major breakthrough. I was actually astonished by this tonight when it came out. I'm not surprised by much.
HANNITY: Yes, remember during the Olympics, oh, Kim Jong Un's sister made Mike Pence look bad, which never happened. That was the media's narrative. Oh my God, he is provoking World War III. He said little rocket man.
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One thing that it seems that we forget is we are the United States of America. We have the meanest, toughest military on the face of this earth. Reminding dictators that they cannot intimidate us is not a bad foreign policy.
But, if it encourages them to reach out for peace, we offer our hand in peace because the world ultimately is better off for our children and grandchildren. It's not that complicated, Dr. Gorka.
GORKA: It's not. And let me share with you, I was in the Oval by myself with the president maybe back in May, and he just looked up from his desk and he said: I do not want to go to war on the Korean peninsula. But he understands when a threat is made. And he loves our military and he understands them.
I took 18 Green Berets into the Oval. The way he connected with them was incredible. He understands that diplomacy means nothing unless you have the option force to back it up. And that's what we have forgotten for far too long and whether it's a MOAB bomb in Afghanistan, whether it's cruise missiles in Syria, he is not adventurist but he will stand up to evil as we have done many times before.
I just want to know how the never-Trumpers are going to react. How are the Tom Frieidmans? How are the sad individuals like Max Booth going to react now when Donald Trump's policies keep winning and as you mentioned it, I think the steel tariff is part of this deal.
HANNITY: Absolutely. I will get to that later in the program tonight. Well said.
Dr. Gorka, thank you. Dan Bongino, thank you.
Joining us with more reaction, the host of 'War Stories', Colonel Oliver North.
Let me -- let me pick up with Dr. Gorka was saying. It's interesting to watch the media reaction to the president and not only wanting free trade but also wanting fair trade and saying that there has got to be reciprocity. Knowing this president as well as I do, you know him well, Colonel North, he's the consummate constant negotiator. And what he's doing is, well, he exempted Canada and Mexico, and he said, oh, and every other country is open for renegotiation. The whole thing is a negotiation.
And similarly here, he obviously never wanted to go to war with North Korea. But nor was he going to give an inch to Kim Jong Un and his dictatorial practices and his intimidation and his supposed show of force with his missile launches.
OLIVER NORTH, 'WAR STORIES' HOST: So, do you suppose that there is a rapid translation of 'The Art of the Deal' being made in the Korea right now?
I would tell you, the comment made by Senator Graham was spot on. If he thinks that he is going to go into this conversation and try to pull something over President Trump's eyes or his head, he is dead wrong.
Look it, here is the other part of this that no one has seen yet. For over a decade, the Iranians have been paying for the North Koreans to act as their R&D facility so that the deal that was done isn't going to show somewhere. And Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is in charge of the weapons of mass destruction, the nukes, the ICBMs, the chemical weapons and bio weapons. They have been funding secretly financial and tech support to the North Koreans. This is going to put them on their butts.
The bottom line of it is, if this works -- and it's still a big if -- if this works, it is going to make the entire world safer because it's just going to stop the North Koreans. It's going to stop the Iranians because they can't get away with it doing it at home even under the ridiculous agreement that was made in Vienna. It's good news.
HANNITY: As well as anybody, you understand and you spent an entire life either involved fighting on the battlefield, being with troops and heroes on the battlefield and also the work that you did in Iran when you were handed by your government a suicide pill in case god forbid that you had to take it. I never understood the mentality.
Everybody praised Barack Obama, he wins the Nobel Peace Prize, $150 billion in cash and other currencies. Bill Clinton thought it would work with North Korea and Kim Jong Il. It didn't work. He still has nuclear weapons and we got to the point where we are today.
What is it about the left in America that doesn't seem to understand you cannot bribe a murdering dictatorous (ph) regime?
NORTH: Sean, years ago, you and I were on the radio together talking about Madeleine Albright doing the 'Macarena' in North Korea because of the deal they had done in 1994. That deal is what got them to this point today that and the help of the Iranians.
And what's now happenings with this arrangement, if this works, and I pray that it does, it's not only going to stop what's going on in the Korean peninsula, it's also going to have a very positive effect in the Middle East, because this is a major setback for the Iranians.
They have been using the Assad regime and the North Koreans to do things that the rest of the world is looking the wrong way while the Iranians are doing it. This is a major blow to the Iranian goal.
HANNITY: There's no downside. Could you tell me -- all right. Sanctions continue. The joint exercises continue. You have a promise before May that at least from now until May is not going to be firing any missiles or test firing them. What else the downside? I don't see one.
NORTH: The downside is that this guy comes from a family line that does nothing but lie. They have lied repeatedly now for decades about what they are doing and what they are not going to do.
HANNITY: The minute they lie, the minute the deal is taken off the table.
NORTH: Understood. Hopefully, he will understand that. That's why that little light-hearted comment about 'Art of the Deal'. If this guy understands what he is up against, and sitting down at a table somewhere in the world opposite Donald Trump, he had better mean it when he is saying I'm going to denuclearize. By the way, it will be magnificent for the people of Korea to take it off the table.
HANNITY: It will be magnificent for the world.
NORTH: Absolutely right. This is a major step in the right direction.
And I go back to what we always say. Trust but verify and you're never going to get a good deal out of the press. You can count on it. Tomorrow morning, it's all going to be bad.
HANNITY: Donald Trump could give everybody in the world $5 million and they would still criticize him.
NORTH: Yes.
HANNITY: All right. Colonel, safe home. Appreciated you.
NORTH: Good to be with you.
All right. When we come back, my monologue on President Trump now agreeing with Kim Jong-un.
Also, we have breaking news tonight that we have got to share with you about an investigation none of us really knew was going on. That's straight ahead.
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HANNITY: This is a Fox News alert.
Major breaking news tonight: a huge foreign policy win for President Trump. Little rocket man blinks.
Now, the president's tough rhetoric, his bold action, his severe sanctions, they appear to be working tonight. President Trump is accepting an invitation to meet with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un by May and Pyongyang is agreeing to stop all nuclear and missile tests while these talks are underway. And the sanctions, they will continue.
Plus, this is a huge development. The lawyer for the Uranium One informant is confirming tonight, just moments ago, that in fact the FBI field office in Little Rock, Arkansas is, in fact, investigating the Clinton Foundation. Now, this comes after Democrats tried to discredit the FBI informant with the deceptive leaks.
We'll have a lot more on tonight's breaking news opening monologue.
HANNITY: All right. The media liberals -- they are looking like complete fools tonight because they are once again turning out to be completely wrong about President Trump. The commander-in-chief's leadership is now leading to a major foreign policy breakthrough as it relates to North Korea. This is what we call peace through strength in action.
The president is causing little rocket man to back down. It's something that President Obama, other presidents all failed to do. President Trump's tough words, his actions are now starting to yield positive results and hopefully, this will end in the protection of America and, of course, the world and the region in particular.
Trump's extremely tough sanctions, they have now backed Kim Jong Un into a corner. He was forced to capitulate. It's a long way to go. We've got to be cautious, trust but verify, but meeting with Kim Jong Un under the pretense that he will stop all nuclear missile testing, this is a good start.
For months, President Trump has been putting immense pressure on North Korea. Take a look.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire, fury, and frankly, power the likes of which this world has never seen before.
Frankly, the people that were questioning that statement, was it too tough? Maybe it wasn't tough enough. They have been doing this to our country for a long time, for many years, and it's about time that somebody stuck up for the people of this country and for the people of other countries.
And what they have been getting away with is tragedy. And it can't be allowed. If anything happens to Guam, there is going to be big, big trouble in North Korea.
If he does anything with respect to Guam or any place else that's an American territory or an American ally, he will truly regret it, and he will regret it fast.
Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.
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HANNITY: Of course, the media mocked, the media ridiculed President Trump for daring to stamp up to a brutal murdering dictator. You may remember this.
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REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY: He wasn't a president. He was a preacher up there giving his dark world view.
DAVID GREGORY, CNN: It's really frightening to hear an American president talk about obliterating any other country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, CNN: The rhetoric was irresponsible. It was put many world leaders on edge. And frankly, it was contradictory in many, many places.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, MSNBC: I would call it simplistic axis of evil speech on steroids.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One more time, simplistic axis of evil on steroids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On steroids.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this going to go down in the history of weird U.N. speeches?
ANDREA MITCHELL, MSNBC: It is certainly an unusual speech, a weird speech, rocket man, insulting Kim Jong Un.
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HANNITY: They would have rather if he bowed and kissed the ring of Kim Jong Un or kissed the ring of the mullahs in Iran.
The reason the media did this is because they prefer the policies of Barack Obama and Bill Clintons. Those are policies of appeasement.
The media wanted President Trump to get on bended knee and beg, please be nice to us.
But, of course, President Trump, he didn't do that. He didn't cave. He didn't bow to the liberal pressure and he stood firm as they attacked him until, in fact, Kim Jong Un started backing down. That appears to now be happening.
And, of course, the destroy Trump media, they have been embarrassingly wrong about the entire situation. Just last month, they were mocking, remember, Vice President Mike Pence for not acknowledging Kim Jong Un's sister at the Olympics? Here's how the left -- the liberals reacted and what they said back then.
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WHOOPI GOLDBERG, ABC: VP Mike Pence was in the stand at the Olympics where he seemed to be making a silent protest by remaining seated when North and South Korean athletes entered the stadium under the Korean unification flag. Now, was this the place to make that statement? Or did he just forget to get up?
SUNNY HOSTIN, ABC: I thought that Mike Pence said that it was inappropriate to make political statements at sporting events.
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GODLBERG: If you are in Korea, you need to stand up. You need to stand up and show respect.
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HANNITY: Remember the media? They also were fawning over Kim Jong Un's sister who is part of a family who slaughters thousands of their own citizens, puts thousands more in death camps and millions are starving. But the truth doesn't matter to the media in this country as usual.
They have been praising evil dictators for decades. Very sad. And as for this upcoming meeting between Kim Jong Un, well, President Trump is showing fearlessness in accepting the invitation. I can assure you, this that President Trump, he will not be repeating the same failed policies of appeasement. We can go back to the 1990s, then President Bill Clinton, remember, he tried to bribe North Korea with billions of dollars in energy subsidies in exchange for a promise that Kim Jong U's father, Kim Jong-il would give up his nuclear program.
Clinton then went on national TV, patting himself on the back and saying this is a good deal for the American people, and they ended up getting nukes anyway. You may remember.
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BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT: This is a good deal for the United States. North Korea will freeze and then dismantle its nuclear program. South Korea and our other allies will be better protected. The entire world will be safer as we slow the spread of nuclear weapons. South Korea with support from Japan and other nations will bear most of the cost of providing North Korea with fuel to make up for the nuclear energy it is losing. And they will pay for an alternative power system for North Korea that will allow them to produce electricity while making it much harder for them to produce nuclear weapons. The United States and international inspector will carefully monitor North Korea to make sure it keeps its commitments. Only as it does so will North Korea fully join the community of nations.
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HANNITY: Well, Clinton was wrong. He was naive. He was dumb. And he was gullible. Because North Korea took the money, broke their promises and then they got nuclear weapons. It's a big reason why we find ourselves in the situation we are in today. As for President Barack Obama, well, he borrowed from President Clinton's failed appeasement playbook. He gave the radical uranium mullahs of Iran vowing to destroy America, vowing to destroy Israel, threatening to, you know, destroy and wipe off the face of the earth Israel and burning American flags and Israeli flags. Obama gave them $150 billion and he still allowed them to spin their centrifuges. Here is Obama, here's him capitulating to Tehran, take a look.
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BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, after two years of negotiations, the United States, together with our international partners, has achieved something that decades of animosity has not. A comprehensive, long-term deal with Iran that will prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. This deal demonstrates that American diplomacy can bring about real and meaningful change. Change that makes our country and the world safer and more secure. This deal is also in line with a tradition of American leadership.
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HANNITY: Another naive failed policy, because just like Clinton, Obama's disastrous deal is doomed to fail. They are still threatening to wipe Israel off the face of the earth and destroy the United States of America. And by the way 150 billion of your tax dollars go to people that hate us and will never make a deal with us under those circumstances. Beyond naive. It never works. Appeasement never works.
President Trump and his upcoming meeting, from now until May, the world will probably be a little bit safer. The media should be giving President Trump credit for that and the White House is making clear tonight that until this meeting happens, the Trump administration will not be easing up on North Korea.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders put out a statement it reads, quote, 'President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon, he will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain that includes joint field operations.'
That also means if Kim Jong Un dares to resume conducting nuclear missile tests then talks are off the table. They is exactly what Ronald Reagan said when he said trust but verify, and its trust but verify policy. Do I trust Kim Jong Un? Nope. Do I trust North Korea and the regime? Absolutely not. But the President's strength made this meeting possible. Made today possible. Made it possible for a better tomorrow. And I can assure you this. He is not going to be bringing bribes to North Korea or strike a bad deal.
Also breaking tonight, and this is huge. A massive development to a major scandal that the media has been ignoring and we have been covering. Victoria Toensing, who will join us tomorrow, she is the lawyer for the Uranium One informant. And she is confirming tonight that the FBI field office in Little Rock, Arkansas is, in fact, investigating the Clinton Foundation. Victoria Toensing is saying that her client, this is the informant, he had infiltrated Putin's network in America when they were involved in bribery, extortion, kickbacks and money laundering. William Campbell, she is saying he was interviewed by the FBI about the Clinton foundation back in December of last year. This comes after Democrats tried today the damage the credibility of this informant with a smear peaceful of selective leaks and it just proves how Democrats are scared and they will do anything and everything to protect Bill and Hillary Clinton.
By the way I would like to remind them they have the right to remain silent.
And when we come back, the Attorney General Jeff Sessions, he says is he seriously considering the appointment of a second special counsel as it relates to FISA abuses and of course, the Clinton email server scandal. President Trump's attorney, Jay Sekulow, he reacts exclusively next.
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HANNITY: All right. Big breaking news moments ago, Victoria Toensing, she is the attorney for the uranium one informant is confirming to this show tonight that in fact the FBI is investigating the Clinton foundation and meanwhile Democrats are doing everything think can do to try to discredit.
Remember, the informant, they are selectively leaking information to their friends in the left wing media. We also have other breaking news from the Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He was on last night with our own Shannon Bream when he said that he is seriously now considering appointing a second special counsel, tick tock, watch this.
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JEFF SESSIONS, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, I have great respect for Mr. Gowdy and Chairman Goodlatte. And we are in are going it consider seriously their recommendations. I have appointed a person outside of Washington many years in the Department of Justice to look at all the allegations that the house judiciary committee members sent to us and we are conducting that investigation. I also am well aware that we have a responsibility to ensure the integrity of the FISA process. We are not afraid to look at that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: This is huge news. Joining us with reaction, he is the chief counsel for the American Center of Law and Justice and attorney to the President of the United States Jay Sekulow. I want to go back, Jay if I may, over these comments, he said in this interview last night, I have appointed a person outside of Washington, many years at the Department of Justice, looking at the allegations that the House Judiciary Committee members sent us and we are conducting that investigation and he stated he is well aware we have a responsibility to ensure the integrity of the FISA process. This is a huge development.
JAY SEKULOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S LAWYER: It is, Sean. And I think the important part to focus in on here is that the attorney general said he has already appointed someone with a lot of experience outside of Washington, D.C. with a lot of experience within the Department of Justice who is already conducting an investigation. That investigation, in all probability, is a determination being reviewed as to whether, in fact, that special counsel, as has been requested by the chairman of the judiciary committee has been called for by members of the United States senate. Been called for by Trey Gowdy. You and I have been talking about it for a long time. So, what's happened right now is it looks like the Department of Justice has appointed someone with a lot of experience to make the determination, at least make advice as to the determination as to whether a special counsel should be appointed for this precise situation. Especially as it relates to the FISA abuse which is such a big scenario.
HANNITY: Jay, my sources at the Department of Justice, they have been very clear that in their view, I disagree with it. I think we have -- there is enough evidence that we know now that would warrant and justify a special counsel. But the feeling has been we got to wait for the I.G. report to come out. Then, of course, DOJ attorneys have to look at it, then they would consider the appointment of a special counsel. It seems unbeknownst to all of us that is Jeff Sessions was doing a lot more than any of us knew.
SEKULOW: Yeah, you know, we talked about that before. The public doesn't always know what the Department of Justice is doing internally. Remember, according to the regulations here, the Department of Justice has a process that they go through in reviewing as to whether a special counsel should be appointed. Now, have you got to have an issue of criminality? You have to have an issue of conflict of interest. I think in both of those situations as it relates to the FISA investigation, it warrants a special counsel. And it appears that what Jeff Sessions the attorney general has done has started that process internal review, by the way could dual track with the inspector general. Not mutually exclusive, it is not one or the other.
The special counsel has a deeper ability to talk to witnesses outside of the existing Department of Justice personnel, which is one of the limitations imposed on an inspector general. So I think this is significant. I think it's significant for the rule of law and especially when you are talking about a FISA situation which was based on an unverified or salacious in the words of James Comey dossier. That dossier information was leaked to the press. That the individual, Christopher Steele, who put that dossier together, was involved with Bruce Ohr, number four at the Department of Justice wife as far as working, she was working for Fusion GPS. You start putting these together and then, of course, he ultimately gets fired, Chris Steele, because he leaked the information to the press. Now, did they tell that to the court in the FISA warrant? I suspect not. But, again, this goes to the point that you have a FISA courts are very serious. Foreign intelligence surveillance act. You have to have procedures in place to protect the American people. That is what this special counsel needs to be looking at.
HANNITY: The FISA law is very clear. FBI protocols have very clear that they have legal, moral, ethical, even by their own standards, obligation to verify and corroborate any materials that are sent before a FISA court, it seems to me there were a lot of issues at play here and exoneration before an investigation, months before. That is unheard of. Secondly, if you have.
SEKULOW: Witnesses were given, Sean, immunity in that situation.
HANNITY: What happened to the computers?
SEKULOW: Well, wait a minute. Witnesses weren't even interviewed. I mean, as far as when that -- when the draft of the report that was put together. And, remember this, Andrew McCabe said that they would not have even sought the FISA warrant without the Christopher Steele dossier. And then think about this. James Comey goes to the President-Elect of the United States and tells the President-elect of the United States that there is dossier is out there, but it is salacious and unverified. Meanwhile used it to obtain a FISA warrant. And that warrant was renewed.
HANNITY: But this is the point. The FISA warrant, it was unverified, they didn't follow the FISA law. They didn't file the FBI protocols. James Comey allowed it to happen. They never told a Judge it was bought and paid for by Hillary Clinton. That is lying by omission. Then he tells Donald Trump, just before he is inaugurated it's salacious and unverified. They are telling a court in October, they are putting all the faith and credibility of their department on this.
SEKULOW: Yes. But also remember this, they also renewed it. It was the day before the inauguration. Based on the same information.
HANNITY: Unbelievable.
SEKULOW: What you have here is the reason, we just stated the case for why a special counsel should be appointed and I believe that is what's going to happen.
HANNITY: All right. Jay Sekulow, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. A lot of breaking news. When we come back, Tomi Lahren hitting the streets of California. What do the people think about the Oakland mayor and that state's liberal immigration laws and putting law enforcement at risk? Straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: All right, earlier this week, the Trump administration sued the state of California for its failure to comply with federal immigration law. So we sent our own Tomi Lahren out to Los Angeles to find out what California residents think. This ought to be interesting. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
TOMI LAHREN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Do you think that we have an illegal immigration problem in California? You're smiling. You don't want to answer that question?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, boy, how long do we have to unpack?
(LAUGHTER)
LAHREN: Are you aware you are in sanctuary state?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm not. Thank you for letting me know. What exactly does that mean?
LAHREN: That means sanctuary for illegal immigrants.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think this is a safe place for a lot of residents to continue living and I'm proud of that.
LAHREN: If you are an illegal immigrant you can be harbored, shielded until yesterday because the Attorney General said no more of that California. What do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I mean, if that is the way that they are doing it, then we should embrace it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The governor here is a criminal. I mean that is a criminal act. You're going against the law.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's great. I think American is fine on immigrants and it should be that way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any American should pay taxes and work. It is an American dream for themselves. They shouldn't be sheltered.
LAHREN: I think for me it's about the rule of law and needs to be respected. You want to come in this country, come in the right way, respect our laws, respect our culture and then I think we welcome everyone.
I think there is a right and wrong way to do it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would agree.
LAHREN: Do you think that it would be easier if we didn't have so many illegal immigrants already? Do you think that legal immigrants could get in easier?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know, living in California like all of our fruit is picked by undocumented immigrants. I want to keep eating avocados. What about you, do you like guacamole?
LAHREN: Why do you think California is so open to illegal immigration?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The term is illegal immigrants. It's not legal and that is not what this country stands for.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just think that there have a lot of rules that aren't easy to navigate and we might as well not try to punish people, because our system is so difficult.
LAHREN: The happy medium would be let people come in but do it the right way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
LAHREN: There you go. What do you think about the wall?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wall is a waste of money. A big time wall, would just have to find a new way to go over.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't believe a fence is the answer. Honestly I don't know what the answer is.
LAHREN: We got a big beautiful wall with a door. Would you like that wall?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably not.
LAHREN: No, you wouldn't like that wall at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
LAHREN: Would you visit the wall?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
LAHREN: No, ok.
(END VIDEO)
HANNITY: All right. Joining us with more is Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren and Catalina Magazine publisher Cathy Areu. Do you believe in the rule of law?
CATHY AREU, CATALINA MAGAZINE PUBLISHER: Absolutely.
HANNITY: Ok. Is it illegal to enter this country, I asked you the last time?
AREU: Right.
HANNITY: Without permission in this country, it's illegal, right? It's illegal. Don't make me do this again.
AREU: As I said I think many people entered legally and, given the circumstances perhaps stayed for other reasons.
HANNITY: Are there people who broke our laws and don't respect American law? That is what I'm trying to get out of you. It's a simple question.
AREU: Well, it comes to a world should we really have borders? Isn't this just one world? One planet? Should we go back to John Lennon and not worry about countries and borders and keeping people out?
HANNITY: I went down to Texas, 642,000 Texans were victims of crime by illegal immigrants in the seven year period. Do you even care?
AREU: Absolutely.
HANNITY: Do you care about those Texans?
AREU: Absolutely.
HANNITY: Do you care about Kate Steinle's family? Do you care about Kate Steinle's family?
AREU: Of course. And I care about all the families of the kids who have died in schools, because of our homegrown criminals. These are homegrown.
HANNITY: You are like one big long run on sentence that says nothing.
AREU: Why? Homegrown criminals are just as bad.
LAHREN: Actually I have a question of my own. Do you lock your doors at home at your residence? Do you have a lock on your door? Do you use that lock.
AREU: I do, yes. I do.
HANNITY: Do you have an alarm?
AREU: I don't.
LAHREN: Why is that? You lock your door, because you want to know who is coming into your home. It's not because you hate the people outside. It's because you love the people inside. Well, that is what needs to be done with the United States of America. That is why we have a border. We have a right to know who is coming into our country and why. That is what keeps us safe. That is why Sean and I care so much about this issue.
AREU: If I had law enforcement in my home and people taking care of me I know something went wrong, something in my home they would take care of it, but I don't have a police officer sleeping over at night so therefore I lock my doors. So, in our country we do have systems in place that people commit crimes, then they will be punished.
HANNITY: Tomi?
LAHREN: We have systems in place. That is right, called the law. That is the whole issue here. It's called the law. You have need to respect law.
AREU: And they do. Millions of immigrants do respect the law. We don't hear about millions of immigrants committing crime.
HANNITY: This is 11 million illegal immigrants and 13.5 percent of the crime population comes from the community of only 3.5 percent.
AREU: Well, I mean, we're not.
HANNITY: That is from the U.S. government, in case you are interested.
AREU: Yes it is such a small number.
HANNITY: We have 3.5 percent of the population commits 13.5 percent of the crime.
AREU: Millions of immigrants in this country pay their taxes and do not commit crimes.
HANNITY: Tomi, I don't know how do you this every week and talk to people that don't make sense.
AREU: I make perfect sense.
LAHREN: Behind enemy lines. It's all right. We are educating. We are doing our jobs here in California. Educating.
HANNITY: All right. I'm about to do a shot of whiskey. Have a beer. More Hannity next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: All right. That is all the time we have left this evening. As always, we want to thank you for being with us. We will always be fair and balance. We are not the left wing destroy Trump media. We have major breaking news tomorrow night. Tell your friends. This is huge. There is a Clinton foundation investigation. And another story that I can't tell you about until tomorrow. By the way, we just started our Instagram page on top of that Sean Hannity at twitter and hannity.com. Just go check it out for yourself. We will throw a pictures of Laura Ingraham that will drive a lot traffic.
LAURA INGRAHAM, THE INGRAHAM ANGLE HOST: Oh yes. Drive it away, what are you talking about?
(LAUGHTER)
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