Liberal media underwhelmed by Democrats' debate performance

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Liberal media underwhelmed by Democrats' debate performance

Members of mainstream media admit none of the candidates on stage could beat Trump; reaction from America First Action PAC senior adviser Sean Spicer and The Hill media reporter Joe Concha.

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," June 27, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And welcome to “Hannity.”

We begin with a Fox News alert. Tonight, one person is emerging as the clear winner from this week's Democratic debates, that would be President Trump. And the radical socialists on stage did not deliver. Virtually, no one was impressed with anyone.

The president called the debate, quote, boring.

Bill Maher tweeted: Not a promising start. Even congresswoman, well, the real leader of the House of Representatives, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, chiming in, comparing it to a high school classroom filled with kids who didn't do their homework, didn't read the book.

In a moment, we'll break down all the radical positions. You get to hear it yourself, ill-informed platforms, far left fantasies that would never happen.

All right. Also, my staff behind my back, sent our own Lawrence Jones to the debate in Miami to see what Democrats think about me.

Now, I was just told about this moments ago. I can hardly wait. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sean, not a fan.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: We are going to play the pulled full package coming up. I'm told it's going to be quite entertaining.

But we turn to one of the biggest losers from last nights debate, that would be NBC News. They experienced, well, some technical difficulties at the height of the debate. It can happen to anybody. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK TODD, NBC NEWS: I think we had a little mic issue in the back --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Control room, we've got --

TODD: We have the audience, all right.

Is there a role for the federal government in order -- to play in order to get these guns off the streets?

(INAUDIBLE)

(LAUGHTER)

RACHEL MADDOW, MSNBC HOST: What is happening is happening?

TODD: We are hearing our colleagues' audio.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

TODD: If the control room could turn off the microphones of the previous moderators.

(LAUGHTER)

MADDOW: You know, we have prepared for everything. We did not prepare for this.

TODD: Guess what, guys? We are going to take a quick break. We are getting this technical situation fixed. We will be right back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Look, technical glitches, they do happen. Remember, once we had an anchor? It was called going to the bathroom, flushing the toilet. That wasn't released on tape, it happens.

Now, the real embarrassment is that NBC allowed the biggest conspiracy theorist, the biggest one in the country to moderate the debate. The so- called news network, they put Roswell Rachel Maddow right there front and center, again, the single biggest conspiracy theorist in the country.

We are going to go over a lot of these conspiracies, just a quick list. She once described herself as a left of Mao. And for three years, she has been hysterically, breathlessly, like the rest of the media, reporting an actual hoax and she told her viewers that President Trump was a Russian op, suggesting Rex Tillerson, a Russian plant, saying Vladimir Putin could turn off the power in Fargo, North Dakota, whenever he wanted, comparing Trump's children -- so nice, liberal kindness -- Uday and Qusay Hussein, Saddam Hussein's kids.

Despite her rampant abusive bias, embarrassing conspiracy theories, hatred all things Donald Trump, NBC News allowed her to be the moderator. Me, Rush, Levin, how about O'Reilly, how about four of us, we'll do the next debate?

That's because NBC News, they're not interested in the truth. They're not interested in integrity or actual journalism. Instead, NBC News, Tom Brokaw, are you watching? Didn't you build this brand?

A TV channel that works in unison with everything Democratic Party, everything socialist, everything to smear, slander, besmirch President Trump every second, every minute, every hour of every day.

And true to form, Roswell Rachel Maddow and her sidekick, Chuckie Todd, they didn't ask tough questions. We never expected that. Instead, they urged their Democratic friends on the stage indulge their far-left conspiracies. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADDOW: We are here in Miami which is already experiencing serious flooding on sunny days as a result of sea level rise. Part of Miami Beach and the Keys could be underwater in our lifetimes. Does your plan save Miami?

Nancy Pelosi is saying that impeachment will not be pursued in the House. It raises the prospect and the Mueller report raises the prospect that President Trump could be prosecuted for some of those potential crimes down the line. No U.S. president has ever been prosecuted for times after leaving office. Do you believe that President Trump should or could be the first?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right, anyway. One news critic actually called Roswell Rachel Maddow's performance, quote, lost for journalism. But we've been telling you sent '07 '08, journalism is dead, buried, for many years.

It's clear, NBC's so-called news, conspiracy theory TV, they're making no attempt ever revived that.

Still, last night's debate confirms what we've also been telling you for some time. Moderates in the Democratic Party, well, they are extinct. They no longer exist. There are no more Joe Liebermans, Scoop Jacksons.

The radical socialists, they have completely and totally taken over, and last night, they were just obsessed with vilifying private enterprise. In other words, that which has created the greatest standard of living in the industrialized world, that has advanced the human condition more than any governmental system. Capitalism works and we share it with others.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN, D-MASS., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Who is this economy really working for? It's doing great for thinner and thinner slice at the top. We need to make structural change in our government and our economy and in our country.

DEBATE MODERATOR: Would you support a 70 percent individual marginal tax break? Yes, no, or pass?

BETO O'ROURKE, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would support a tax break and a tax code that is fair for everyone. Tax capital at the same rate you tax ordinary income. Take that normal tax rate up to 28 percent.

SEN. CORY BOOKER, D-N.J., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think we have a serious problem in our country with corporate consolidation. You see the evidence of that in how dignity is being stripped from labor.

BILL DE BLASIO, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're supposed to be for 70 percent tax rate on the wealthy. We are supposed to break up big corporations when they are not serving our democracy. There's plenty millions in this country, it's just in the wrong hands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: I didn't know who half these people were.

Make no mistake, Democrats -- yes, they want a top 70 percent marginal tax rate for individuals, and 90 percent top corporate tax rate. And then a wealth tax, and then a death tax. Wow, who is going to want to build business?

I wonder why New York, New Jersey, let's say Illinois, California are losing population? Yes, because of what they proposed last night. Where are we going to go next?

But there are not enough, by the way, if you look at it, billionaires and millionaires in the world to pay for this grandiose socialist vision of theirs.

Let's see -- free, universal basic income, retirement, early education, child education, universal child care, paid leave, family leave, guaranteed vacation, free housing, and, of course, free universal health care, but you can't pick your doctor, your plan and save money. That didn't work out. As a matter of fact, there will be no choices. We all live in one system, the government system.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LESTER HOLT, NBC NEWS: Who here would abolish their private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan? A show of hands to start out with.

(APPLAUSE)

WARREN: So, yes, I'm with Bernie on Medicare-for-All. There are a lot of politicians who say, oh, it's just not possible, we just can't do it, have a lot of political reasons for this. What they are really telling you is that they just won't fight for it.

HOLT: Would you replace private insurance?

O'ROURKE: No, I think the choice is fundamental to our ability --

(CROSSTALK)

DE BLASIO: Private insurance is not working for tens of millions of Americans when you talk about the co-pays, the deductibles, the premiums, the out-of-pocket expenses, it's not working! How can you defend the system that's not working?

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, if Elizabeth Warren gets elected, her first order of business would be to ban private insurance. That's right, if you're watching at home and you like your insurance, you like your doctor, too bad because if elected, Elizabeth Warren will be making and allowing the government to make all your health care decisions, and you thought Obamacare was bad? How many lost millions lost their doctors? Millions lost their plans? Everyone paid a ton more despite of the promises.

Given Warren's track record of faking her ethnicity I don't think she has the best judgment.

But, of course, the true litmus test in the Democratic Party -- well, that's the issue of abortion and open borders and everything else. In some cases, they have outright infanticide they are endorsing. Last night, the party of partial, some cases, yes, during and even post-birth abortion, they showed their true colors. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIAN CASTRO, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't believe only in reproductive freedom, I believe in reproductive justice.

(APPLAUSE)

CASTRO: And, you know, what that means is that just because a woman, or let's also not forget someone in the trans community, a trans female -- is poor, it doesn't mean they shouldn't have the right to exercise that right to choose.

HOLT: Senator Warren, would you put limits on -- any limits on abortion?

WARREN: I would make certain that every woman has access to the full range of reproductive health care services. We now have in America where most people support Roe versus Wade. We need to make that federal law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, just to keep track if you are at home, to add it all up, Democratic radical socialist, extremists, they are promising everything free. Taxes through the roof, government health care, no private insurance options, no limits on abortion at all regardless of the stage of pregnancy or survivability of the child at that point, extreme positions, not based in reality and quite frankly, in many cases scary, but there is more.

One key tenet of the Democratic platform, open borders. Last night, many vilified the president and Republicans for trying to deter people from entering this country legally, and, of course, their children for making the dangerous trip through Mexico.

And it wasn't long Obama, in second term, was echoing the concerns of Republicans, sometimes even sounded like Trump. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT: Our message absolutely is don't send your children unaccompanied on trains or through a bunch of smugglers. We don't even know how many of these kids don't make it and may have been waylaid into sex trafficking or killed because they fell off the train. We have no way of tracking that.

So, that is our direct message to the families in Central America. Do not send your children to the borders. If they do make it, they will get sent back. More importantly, they may not make it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, you might remember, the Democrats expressed no outrage over those comments. In fact, there was little outrage over the mass deportations under the Obama administration. Yes, and we have those pictures that we show to you, the first with Donald Trump.

Remember the conditions under Obama? Migrant holding facilities? All under Obama. No anger when the Obama administration put immigration children -- yes -- in cages.

And fake moral outrage is the Democratic Party's favorite political weapon. We saw it over Russia and the collusion hoax. They called Trump a Russian op, but even refused to acknowledge that role that Hillary Clinton's dirty bought and paid for Russian dossier played in the election, played in the whole spying scandal of an opposition party candidate, and then, of course, a president-elect and a president. We saw it over the topic of obstruction of justice. They didn't care about what she did to those 33,000 subpoenaed emails.

Democrats are now obsessed about obstruction phantom charges against the president with no underlying crime. And yet, with Hillary Clinton, Bleach Bit, acid wash, delete 33,000 emails, busting devices, hammers, removing SIM cards, not a peep from either the media mob or the Democratic Party.

We see it on issues of racism and sexual assault. Don't forget the Democratic lieutenant governor and governor of Virginia. Yes, they are still both in office. We see it on climate change.

Last night, four of the candidates onstage said that climate change was the biggest threat to our nation, one said Donald Trump. And I assume they all flew in a plane to last night's debate. I highly doubt that they took a Prius from the airport either.

But if the Democratic Party's moral compass, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, gets her way, yes, we are going to ban airplanes and cows, and the combustion engine, and gas and oil, the lifeblood of our economy are absolutely gone. You get the picture.

Now, Ocasio-Cortez weighing in on the Democratic primary. She is not happy with the current front runner. In fact, Ocasio-Cortez just trashed sleepy, creepy, crazy Uncle Joe Biden in an interview with "Vogue", saying that the 76-year-old former VP would depress turnout and is not a pragmatic choice. I actually agree with her for once.

Anyway, if Joe Biden's small, sad kickoff rally is any indication, voters are not excited. I don't see excitement for any of these candidates.

Joining us now, Senator Ted Cruz from the great state of Texas.

Senator, how are you? Good to see you.

SEN. TED CRUZ, R-TX: Sean, great to be with you.

HANNITY: I watched and I watched closely and I'm paying very close attention. It's not every second, minute, hour of every day hating Donald Trump, and then it's the New Green Deal.

CRUZ: Yes.

HANNITY: And it's socialism at a level we've never seen before and -- with a predictable result, correct?

CRUZ: Look, the debate last night --

HANNITY: Take a sip of water. By the way, that's your Marco Rubio moment. Just in case you didn't know.

It happens, don't worry about it, Senator. It's OK.

But the thing is, when you look at the Democrats, and you play close attention, they seem to have a few agenda items, hating Trump, New Green Deal.

CRUZ: Yes. Look, the debate last night, the clown car has broken. There is no brake and it only steered left.

I got to say, it was scary last night. It was scary to see the Democrats, every one of them falling all over each other to get further and further and further left. You saw the Democrats -- you just went through it on your monologue, powerfully -- you saw them embrace late-term abortions. You saw them embrace 70 percent tax rate. You saw them embrace socialism. You saw them tell the American people, they want to take away everyone's health insurance.

And you saw them embrace open borders. One of the most disturbing exchanges was when the several of those candidates began saying they wanted to eliminate the provision and law that makes it illegal to cross the border, that makes it a crime to cross the border illegally.

Now, Sean, as you know, last month, we apprehended over 144,000 people in the month of May crossing illegally. Well, the Democratic solution to that is, well, let's not make it a crime. There we go, the problem goes away.

That is open borders. It's a responsible, and it is sadly where the Democratic Party is today.

HANNITY: You know, how did we go from supporting Obama's position to its immoral, and, you know, the guy you knew, Robert Francis, Bozo, Beto, whatever his name is, you know, literally saying tear down the walls, but yet, 90 percent of America's heroine comes across that border, we are losing 300 people a week in the opioid crisis, then fentanyl, add that to the mix.

I've interviewed these border agents that have spent, you know, over a decade talking about children, young girls being traffic for prostitution.

CRUZ: Yes, yes.

HANNITY: Twelve, 11, 12, 13 years old. And --

CRUZ: Sean, you and I have both been back to the border together. I'm going to be going on Monday back to the border, to really try to highlight the crisis we are having there.

Now, we saw some positive development today Congress finally passed what the president asked for, $4.5 billion, that includes over a billion dollars for Border Patrol, that includes over $200 million for ICE, that's good.

But here is the bad news: the Democrats in Congress refused to close the loopholes, the loopholes that are causing this crisis. They refused to do anything to fix the crisis and I will tell you one of the most disturbing reports I'm getting, Sean, I'm getting more and more reports from law enforcement of cartels and traffickers renting children, because idiotic policy that the Democrats have put in place is that if someone shows up with a child, that they are allowed to stay and they are allowed to go free.

And as a result, you are seeing little children who are suddenly -- they're finding more and more instances, whether with adults that are not their parents, that are not their family, that are strangers to them, but the child is essentially there get out of jail free card. That is cruel to incentivize kids being abused like that. And you know what? The Democrats on that stage, the Democrats on the stage right now, not a single one of them is willing to do anything to fix it.

HANNITY: OK. So, open borders and amnesty is a big part of their agenda, I don't even think the issue is about abortion, when you say no restrictions on abortions.

CRUZ: Yes.

HANNITY: And then we get into, then we get into what happened in Virginia and all these other states where we talk about during birth -- it's not abortion, it's infanticide, or post-birth infanticide.

CRUZ: Yes.

HANNITY: Then we've got a 70 percent top marginal tax rate for individuals, 90 percent for corporations. How many people Texas taken in a year now in terms of gaining population, it wasn't a close to 400,000 in the last year or two?

CRUZ: Yes, we get over 1,000 people a day move into the state of Texas.

HANNITY: A day.

CRUZ: Why? Because that's where the jobs are.

(CROSSTALK)

CRUZ: They are fleeing states like California and New York.

HANNITY: Yes. Wait a minute. So, Mike Huckabee say on the show the other day, now, if you are taking a U-haul from California to Texas, it's about 1,600 bucks. I have not heard this.

But if you are returning, you're basically doing U-haul a favor, it's 400 bucks, but it is probably negotiable. They might give it to you for $100.

(CROSSTALK)

CRUZ : Mike is exactly right, and for a long time , the price differential, going to California versus going to Texas, it's about 300 percent price differential in U-haul, that is been true for years because everyone is fleeing the sinking ship, as you have the crazy left jacking up taxes, jacking up regulations. They're just -- and welcoming people coming illegally.

And the job producers, the small business owners are fleeing the state of California, and in Texas -- I'll tell you something interesting, Sean, as the story came at a couple months ago. Do you know what the number one city in the United States of America for millennials moving into is? My hometown of Houston.

HANNITY: Yes.

CRUZ: Millennials are moving to Houston, the most diversity in America, why?

HANNITY: My niece is there now. She's a doctor.

CRUZ: Because you come to Houston, come to Texas, there are jobs. There are jobs and the wages are going up and you have opportunity because the government doesn't put their boot on the back of the necks of small businesses.

HANNITY: All right. So, here we have -- it was interesting, because Bill Maher, I don't like him but he sometimes makes some very honest statements. He said --

CRUZ: Yes.

HANNITY: -- not a good start because they didn't answer the first question. You know, 70 percent of Americans -- we now have the best employment situation in America since 1969. Principles, by the way, that you have supported your entire career, cutting taxes, deregulation, we are now energy dependent for the first time in 75 years.

The New Green Deal says no oil, no gas in 10 years. And, by the way, many of them are buying into this insanity, you know, the New Green Deal. Now, what would that do to a state like Texas? What would that do to the economy in general if you had a 70 percent personal tax rate and 90 percent corporate tax rate? What would it do? What would we end up?

CRUZ: It would destroy jobs. It would destroy opportunity all across the country.

You know, that tweet you mentioned from Bill Maher, I did something I don't think I've done before. I retweeted today Bill Maher because his tweet was exactly right, he said, look, the first question in the debate was a very question, 70 percent of Americans --

HANNITY: Ted Cruz retweeting Bill Maher, I like that.

CRUZ: But he rightly pointed out, you just said it. He said, look, 70 percent of Americans say the economy is doing well. Why do you guys think we should change it? And not one of the Democrats had an answer.

We've got -- you know this, Sean, and your viewers know this, we've got the lowest unemployment in 50 years, with lowest African-American unemployment ever recorded, lowest Hispanic unemployment ever recorded. And what they are proposing, the Green New Deal would cost will cost $93 trillion.

Now, it's hard sometimes to understand 1 million, a trillion, a billion, but let me put that in perspective. $93 trillion is more money than the federal government has spent in the entire history of the United States of America going back to George Washington.

It would mean about $65,000 per family in America per year. That's where the Democrats are. They are just -- look, Donald Trump has broken the Democratic Party. They hate him so much they are embracing policies that would destroy job across America and open up our borders. It's wrong.

HANNITY: Hey, we went from Obama-Biden eight years, 30 million new Americans on food stamps, 8 million in poverty. Now, we have 6 million off of food stamps and 6 million new jobs --

CRUZ: Yes.

HANNITY: -- in the best employment situation since 1969.

Senator, good to see you. Thank you for being with us.

All right. Now, directly ahead, the Democratic debate was so bad last night, it even the fake news media is admitting Trump won. And Joe Concha and Sean Spicer, they have more.

Later tonight, they did this behind my back. They sent Lawrence Jones. He's at the debate in Miami, he is asking liberals what they think of me.

This is really unfair. I've no idea what this preview is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sean Hannity -- I've never watched Sean Hannity because I know what you -- sort of things you say on Fox.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: This is going to be fun, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. So, the Democrats had an abysmal debate kickoff last night, with performances so bad, even the liberal media couldn't deny it. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I still in my heart of hearts don't see anyone on that stage tonight that would beat Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what Trump is banking on. Those -- all those fights happened last night, you know, with people moving to the left, people sitting there thinking please, please, please have more Democratic debates that look like this because it's an opportunity for them to paint the Democrats as being out of touch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a little disappointed. I think we needed to have more discussions on issues that actually affect Americans every single day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Virtually every Democrat on that stage took positions that were to the left of Barack Obama, you know, playing right into, this from the campaign view, their plan to portray the Democrats simply too far to the left, effectively a socialist party now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. Here with reaction, "The Hill's" Joe Concha, America First Action senior action, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer.

All right. Sean, we'll start with you.

You know, first of all, I did know half the people. I'm like, who is this guy? Wait a minute, who is this one? Who's this guy?

SEAN SPICER, AMERICA FIRST ACTION: You may not have tonight, either.

HANNITY: Exactly. I mean -- so then I'm listening, they're all saying the same thing, no, no, I'm going to give freer health care, freer education. You know, I'm really going to, whatever.

SPICER: I was going to try to phrase in Spanish but I thought that might be pandering to your audience. So, look, last night, you're absolutely right. It is one thing, Ted Cruz is retweeting Bill Maher, and now, I am agreeing with the mainstream media. But that's what last night was.

They didn't lay -- not only they didn't lay a glove on Donald Trump but they didn't play one on Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden. And what I didn't understand last night is with the exception of Elizabeth Warren who is at least within striking distance, the other nine people on that stage tonight, if they don't tear down Biden or Sanders, they have no shot.

And so, I really don't understand what happened last night. For some of these people, this is the first time they have an opportunity, albeit for 60 seconds, to address the American people or the constituency of MSNBC who are their base, and they didn't do anything to impress them. There's no one that stood out.

We are sitting here the day after talking about which phrase in Spanish was more authentic? That's a problem.

HANNITY: What's your reaction, Joe Concha?

JOE CONCHA, THE HILL: S and P, Sean, small and pandering. They looked small.

I agree with Donny Deutsch in terms of, you put a Donald Trump against any of these candidates and he would dominate the room, while, again, to Sean's point and to others that you played in some of those clips, they didn't talk about addressing in any real way solutions around in immigration and the crisis at the border, around health care, around what they would do to make this economy better, if that's possible considering the way it is going.

So, yes. And then from a technical perspective, in terms of MSNBC losing their audio, I mean, I thought that they're going to blame either the Russians or the KG used to B. But that didn't happen.

HANNITY: I thought that - wait a minute that's what I thought.

CONCHA: --everything went wrong last night.

HANNITY: I thought the Russians did it.

CONCHA: Yes, there's a lot of jokes.

SEAN SPICER, AMERICA FIRST ACTION, SENIOR ADVISOR: Can I can I make one point that that's gotten lost in the discussion, because I know - and I agree with Joe, absolutely. The idea that they spent more time on set design than figuring out whether or not people could hear and listen to the debate, it's pretty much ridiculous.

But the other thing that that, I think, is interesting in this whole deal is that when you look at both the Democrats debate in 20 - last cycle - the last cycle that they had a contestant won and the Republican won in 2016. The first night that Fox hosted a debate it was in Cleveland. We had 24 million people.

Last night there was 15 million people, and oh by the way, it was on three networks Telemundo, MSNBC and NBC. The idea that with all three combined that they were that low on the scale compared to where we were, shows a lack of enthusiasm and interest in this race.

HANNITY: There are couple of things, though.

SPICER: --and frankly has been got talked about today.

HANNITY: Everything Russia, Joe, happened on their watch. Obama-Biden's records stand on its own. Obamacare, but then 13 million more Americans food stamps, 8 million more poverty, lowest labor participation rate, worst recovery since the 40s - all right, well, I say it all the time.

But now we have the Trump record. 6 million new jobs, 6 million fewer Americans on food stamps, the first time were energy independent. We have the best employment situation in this country since 1969. Concha, I don't even think you were born by 1969.

CONCHA: I was not, no. I don't even think Spicer was either--

HANNITY: There you go.

CONCHA: --quite frankly. Yes, we're 70s children.

HANNITY: I can tell, the Met starting lineup. They won the World Series. I could tell you Cleon Jones, Tommie Agee, Jerry Grote, Tim McGraw in the bullpen. Tom Seaver, Ray Sadecki, Jerry Koosman, Ed Kranepool, Bud Harrelson, Wayne Garrett. You want me to keep going? I was eight years old.

CONCHA: Where's Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden, weren't they on that team? That was '86, sorry more my time. Anyway, I hope with Joe Biden - I hope what Joe Biden tonight and it's not going to happen.

But there should be a question, and I would hope it would happen at some point, what did you do to present - to prevent Russian interference in the 2016 election when you were aware of it? Since that's on his record. Everybody blames Trump, but what about the people that were in office? I would like to see that.

And again to your point--

HANNITY: All right.

CONCHA: Donald Trump has a story in a record to run on, what are these 25 Democrats running on besides giving away three things and not being able to explain how to pay for it besides taxing the American people?

SPICER: Sean, I would just say this--

HANNITY: All right, last word Sean Spicer.

SPICER: You are right, the economy is booming. But what he has done on opioids, veterans, the military, cutting regulations, this President's record isn't hypothetical as it was last cycle. This is not a theoretical discussion. This President has a record to run on that extends well beyond the economy.

It talks about what he's done for the veterans, how he's plussed up the military budget and how he's combating the opioid addiction problem in so many communities. That didn't even get brought up last night.

I don't know how these people feel like they're going to take on Donald Trump, when they can't even contrast what they're going to do to the record that he's had as President?

CONCHA: And Sean, it doesn't help the fact that the moderators didn't bring up any of those topics either to ask them about it, it became all about social issues and not about the issues that matter to people at home watching?

HANNITY: All right guys, thank you. I appreciate your insight. When we come back breaking news on the deep state front. FBI now stonewalling the release of key documents related to disgraced former FBI Deputy Andrew McCabe.

Tom Fitton, Sara Carter, Gregg Jarrett are here, and Lawrence Jones at the democratic debate asking liberals what they think of me? I didn't know about this. Lawrence is in big trouble when he gets back. Straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: We are waiting live pictures, President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G20 Summit in Japan, when they happen, we'll bring those pictures live.

But first even more developments on our quest to hold those that abuse power, biggest corruption scandal in history accountable. Look at "Judicial Watch" tonight reporting the FBI's continuing to stonewall the release of key Bureau records related to disgraced former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe.

Here to explain more "Judicial Watch", President, Tom Fitton. Along with Investigative Reporter, Fox News Contributor, Sara Carter; the author of the number one bestseller "The Russia Hoax", Fox News Legal Analyst, Gregg Jarrett.

Gregg this goes deeper too, because we do believe now - and that it will be confirmed very shortly that exculpatory evidence that they had was purposely withheld. What do we know about that in particular?

GREGG JARRETT, LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it's true. There was a great deal of exculpatory evidence that came from FBI and/or CIA undercover informants, and perhaps Alexander Downer, the Australian diplomat.

That proved that George Papadopoulos was telling the truth and so was Carter Page and yet that wasn't provided to the FISA Court. They're required under law to provide that information. So that's a fraud on the court, as well as other frauds.

But hats off to Tom Fitton and "Judicial Watch", the only way you will ever get the truth out of somebody like an Andrew McCabe and the FBI is to sue them.

They deliberately defy Obama's executive order of 2009, which says, you cannot - first of all you must always respond to FOIA request. You can't hide information, you can't over classify for the purpose of concealing embarrassing information and misconduct, and yet Christopher Wray does it every single day.

HANNITY: By the way, bilateral meeting now taking place. There's a live picture from the G20 in Japan. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor with the President. Ought to be interesting and will continue to look at that.

Sara Carter, the exculpatory information is fascinating, because we now have learned that everybody was warned in particular about the FISA application, the dossier that was used. That it was tainted, that it was political, that it was not something that they were able to affirm as accurate and true.

SARA CARTER, CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, and the evidence too that was collected in the "Gang of Eight" documents. Remember, those were the documents that actually changed--

HANNITY: Sara, if I may interrupt, the President's speaking. Let's listen in.

CARTER: Absolutely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT: --and we'll be spending some time later on together also. But I just want to say, she's a fantastic person, a fantastic woman and I'm glad to have her as a friend, and thank you very much Angela. Thank you.

ANGELA MERKEL, CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY: Thank you. [Foreign Language]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Thank you very much. I very much look forward to our exchange today. We have a lot on our agenda, especially the fact that German investment in the United States is--

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: --involved in the deep state, because if they - when we find the exculpatory evidence - I'll let you pick it up from there, Sara.

CARTER: Yes, we were talking about the gang of eight documents. And why I was referring to that, Sean, is because those were the documents that everybody said changed everybody's mind.

So once they saw the information that was in there, the highly classified information that dealt with the exculpatory evidence, that was - that's what was so essential in changing the minds of people like Paul Ryan and others like Trey Gowdy who actually saw what was withheld from the courts.

And as far as Tom Fitton and "Judicial Watch", this is--

HANNITY: Hang on, let's go back to the President, he talking about the debates. Go ahead.

CARTER: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: --100 percent of the illegal immigrants coming into our country by being Democrats and unfortunately they couldn't discuss what they're giving to American citizens, and that's not a good thing. So we just passed that and then I came here.

And I will say that we're going to have a very interesting time today. You know, they have a debate going on. They had the first debate last night. Perhaps you saw it, it wasn't very exciting. I can tell you that. And they have another one going on today. They definitely have plenty of cabinet to its about it. So I look forward to spending time with you rather than watching the debate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

TRUMP: Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: He is a great friend of mine. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, press. Thank you, press.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Press, thank you.

TRUMP: Thank you very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right, we'll go back to Sara, we do have more time. That's live by the way in Japan. We'll actually let Sara answer this time. Well, we make a third attempt to try - well, they certainly was talking about debate and how boring they were and their positions, and you could see that smile on the President's face that only he can give.

CARTER: Absolutely. And I want to say one thing, I think Angela Merkel was quite surprised when President Trump said that he was much happier being there with her than actually watching the debates. I think, that's the first time she's heard that coming from President Trump's mouth in a long time. So I'm sure it started off on the right foot right there.

But going back over to what we were discussing earlier with the exculpatory evidence, this is the reason why "Judicial Watch" and I'm sure Tom Fitton will go into what they've uncovered, is fighting so hard to get these documents.

Think about this, McCabe, in order for us to fully understand comprehensively what actually happened with Andrew McCabe, with John Brennan, with James Comey, we need access to their text messages and e- mails.

And this is what they're fighting so hard to get the American people deserve to know what they were doing, what they were planning, and why this investigation started into President Trump.

HANNITY: Now, Tom, what's so important about the information you're getting from the freedom of - through the Freedom of Information Act and what we got this week from the American Center for Law and Justice on executive order 12333, the one that came out last night that we discussed and did the night before.

These are important, but it's hard. How long does it take the average Freedom of Information Act requests that you guys put in to get released?

TOM FITTON, JUDICIAL WATCH, PRESIDENT: Oh, often over well over a year, and that requires a federal lawsuit. And in case of the text messages that we're talking about, the FBI has taken a legal position - an extraordinary legal position that I'm not aware of other government agencies are taking that.

Not one text message should be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. So all of Andrew McCabe's text messages, they don't want to give us. They don't want to give us Page- Strzok text messages or James Comey text messages.

And if you think about exculpatory information, that's incriminating information, you bet they're withholding, because they have the text messages. They think that FOIA shouldn't apply to them. And this is a position only the FBI has taken. It's not even something that Justice Department believes.

It's Christopher Wray's FBI defending the corruption of the last gang that ran it, the Comey gang. And we know Andrew McCabe has text messages about Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump just as Strzok and Page did, and they don't want to release them under the Freedom of Information Act.

And this - we know what's in there generally because we know McCabe was talking about Clinton, we know McCabe was talking about Trump. We're waiting for the text messages. FBI just filed something a little over a week ago saying they shouldn't have to search for text messages. Unbelievable, Sean.

HANNITY: Gregg, your reaction.

JARRETT: You know this is what the FBI does. They think they're above the law because they are the law and they hide - secrecy breeds corruption and it leads to immense power and that's what the FBI and Christopher Wray are all about.

I'll give you one quick example. The Kathleen Kavalec memos that came out - just a fraction of them, Christopher Wray heavily redacted them. And then he retroactively classified them, so that nobody can see them until 2041, that's 22 years from now. I'll be dead. So you'll have to tell me you know up there, down here, what's in them.

But, I mean, this just underscores that concealing evidence and secrecy is what Christopher Wray's FBI is all about. They will not be transparent or honest.

FITTON: And the Attorney General, Sean, briefly needs to get beyond the declassification debate and just focus on transparency generally about this tremendous corruption scandal. We've been waiting too long for these secret documents that we know will expose this illegal targeting of the President.

HANNITY: Sara gets the last word.

CARTER: Sean, the FBI, the CIA, the DOJ, all of these Agencies and Departments work for us, the American people. They're paid for by our taxpayer dollars. They need to be open with us. We need to clean house and we need to know what happened, so that we as a nation can move forward.

HANNITY: All right. Tom, Sara, Gregg, thank you all. We appreciate it.

All right, night two, Democrats, Miami, Lawrence Jones, we sent him down to Miami. Now I had no idea, apparently my staff did, and Lawrence knew. We'll have a little chat about this. Asking debate attendees about the front- runner Joe Biden first, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE JONES, CONTRIBUTOR: Joe Biden is the front-runner, are you comfortable being him being the nominee?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.

JONES: Why.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he has the best chance of winning and I think that that's the most important thing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Biden is not my preferred candidate, but certainly anyone who can contend and win the nomination for - to go against Trump, that's what - who I'm willing to support.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want my candidate to say, "Yes, this is what I believe, and I understand that you may not believe that. But this is exactly why I believe that". I don't think Joe gives that explanation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Biden is a moderate and I think after Donald Trump and how right-side extremist he is, we need a change in this country. After taking one step back, we need to take two steps forward and I think Bernie can do that for us.

JONES: Joe Biden has flip-flopped on a lot of issues. I'm asking you, can you trust his positions since he flip-flops so much?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Totally. I don't see him as a flip-flopper.

JONES: How do you feel about Hunter Biden accepting deals in the Ukraine while Vice President Biden was in office, does that concern you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it really doesn't. The Bidens are an honorable family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: So this is where Lawrence and my staff - well, they didn't tell me this part, they are asking attendees what they thought of yours truly. Great, this ought to be interesting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sean Hannity?

JONES: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So he's just some white dude. I don't really--

JONES: Just some white dude--

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: --know his character.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sean, not a fan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sean Hannity, I never watched Sean Hannity, because I know what you - sort of things you say on Fox.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sean, I wish you'd wake up to the fact that literally every other industrialized modern country in the world has health care as a guaranteed right and that America is literally the only. One open your eyes up to that, and let's get health care as a right in this country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My grandmother loves him for some odd reason. But I do not like Sean Hannity. He just spreads lies. He likes spreading false news.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, we love you Sean, don't listen to those haters, all right. You got a lot of support, especially from the veterans and the Latino community. We love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: My advice to the last woman, her grandma is a smart lady. Anyway, joining us now from the debate Lawrence Jones; Fox News Contributor, Dan Bongino. Forget - no, Lawrence I'm not talking to you right now.

Dan Bongino, don you think that - I love Lawrence, support Lawrence? We're good - we've become good friends. You know I'm just - what do you think of that little trick that they just played on me? Lawrence, not you, that would be for Dan.

DAN BONGINO, CONTRIBUTOR: Well, listen, considering I'm guest hosting tomorrow and I have to work with your staff tomorrow, I think it was great. It was awesome. You guys are terrific - talking about being between a rock and a hard place on that one.

But, Sean, listen let me say quickly before I get to it. I made a huge mistake last night. You know I'm a bit of a health nut. I took a zinc magnesium supplement before I went and watched the debate. Magnesium can put you to sleep.

Watching that thing last night with the zinc and magnesium was like - I was like my eyelids had 75 pound weights attached to them. What a boring display of really bad ideas last night during the debate. Thank god, we had Lawrence spice it up down there.

HANNITY: Lawrence, let me ask you a question. Now you knew that I didn't know about this, correct?

JONES: That is correct.

HANNITY: OK. And my staff knew that I didn't know about this, correct?

JONES: Right.

HANNITY: All right, I can take a joke. You know, I didn't think it was that bad. Anything worse that you couldn't put on TV?

JONES: I mean, you have one person that like you and the grandma. So I think you got some going. But real quick, Sean.

HANNITY: One person and a grandma like me, that's it?

JONES: Right.

HANNITY: That was not great.

BONGINO: You have Obama go after you. Come on, you got this--

HANNITY: Wait a minute we got to--

BONGINO: --Obama went after you.

HANNITY: When they attacked Lawrence - Dan, at the at the stupid impeachment thing, who was there for Lawrence?

JONES: Well, I still--

BONGINO: --you coming down on Fox & Friends the next day.

HANNITY: Right.

JONES: That's right, that's right.

JONES: Yes, real quick, Sean. So the focus of the package was about Biden and it was the highlight of hypocrisy, and you're seeing it right now on the debate stage, the revisionists of history. Everybody was just asked to raise their hand about "If they would support illegals getting health care?"

As we all know Obamacare does not cover that, about family separation, as we know it happened under the Obama administration as well. But the flip- flop, whether it's the Hyde Amendment or just health care, is astounding. And the fact that so many of the Democrats are allowing him to get away with it, is beyond me.

HANNITY: Well, I think that is important. But I think it - actually let this play out, because if their position is hating Trump - Dan Bongino, and the other position is insane socialism, that's never worked ---

BONGINO: Yes.

HANNITY: --and eliminating gas and oil, and everything's free and cows and airplanes. I say just - let him keep going. Don't let - they're digging their own hole. Let him keep digging.

BONGINO: Exactly. I thought there were two key moments last night at the debate. One that's going to sting later on - it happened again tonight, by the way. When they said, "Who wants to cancel private insurance for a Medicare-for-all?"

Elizabeth Warren, forget about the de Blasio, he's irrelevant. But de Blasio and Warren raised their hands. Sean, that ends (ph) rights itself. You like your insurance, here's Elizabeth Warren with her hand up saying, she's going to cancel it.

And then it was another moment when John Delaney, who I actually ran against for Congress, actually had this moment of sanity where he said, we're going to institute Medicare-for-all? Do you understand you're going to put every hospital in the country had a business right?

And everybody on this stage looked perplexed. Like, oh my gosh, a moment of reason, what do we say to this. So those moments really stick out. And I think you're right, just let them talk. The more they talk, the worse it gets.

JONES: Yes, but there is a key point, Sean--

HANNITY: --did they believe in those socialism - is that what - they really - are they true believers, do they not --?

JONES: I don't think - I think the people do, but I don't think the candidates do. Remember, let's be clear what their position is. With the exception of Joe Biden, all of the candidates are anti-Obamacare now. They want to get rid of Obamacare and now have socialized medicine. That is the position of many in the party.

And remember, in the past election, the 2016, we were debating if we wanted to keep or get rid of Obamacare? All of them want to get rid of it with the exception of Joe Biden and put socialized medicine.

HANNITY: Well, I agree. All right guys, good to see about. Lawrence, all right, I'm going to remember. I'm putting this in my memory bank.

Anyway, coming up New York City, comrade Mayor de Blasio is apologizing tonight after making a massive gap on the campaign trail. Our "Villain of the Day" is straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right, "Villain of the Day", a repeat offender. Comrade Mayor de Blasio of New York City, he quoted Che Guevara while campaigning in Miami today. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO, D-NYC, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hasta la victoria siempre!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Then he was forced to apologize tweeting "I did not know the phrase I used at Miami today was associated with Che Guevara and did not mean to offend anyone who heard it that way. I certainly apologize for not understanding that history. I only meant it as a literal message to the striking airport workers that, I believed, that they would be victorious in their strike ".

Unfortunately, yes, they don't think that's going to work. All right, remember, we will never ever, ever, ever be the destroy, rage, hate-Trump media mob. We're just not going to do it. Let not your heart be troubled. By the way, we'll be back here soon. Laura Ingraham is up next.

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