This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 24, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: All right. There you see it.

Welcome to "Hannity."

And the French President Macron just finished speaking at the White House, the first White House state dinner hosted by President Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump.

Also tonight, we have a lot of news to get to. The U.S. is now making significant diplomatic process on the Korean peninsula and all around the world. In just a few moments, we will break down remarkable developments put in motion by policies of peace through strength. By the way, it's something just unthinkable in the Obama years of appeasement.

Plus, tonight, we will reveal why many in the mainstream media are actively actually rooting for the administration to fail on the world stage. Sadly, it's not happening for them. And spoiler alert: it doesn't have anything to do with Russia. Russia, Russia, Stormy, Stormy.

Next, we have a brand-new damning report breaking right here on the show. Sara Carter revealing fired that FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe may have actually given a stand-down order during the initial phase of that Clinton email investigation.

Also, Chairman Goodlatte, Chairman Gowdy, they just struck a deal with the Department of Justice to turn over previously unreleased documents related to Hillary Clinton's private email server investigation.

We're going to analyze all of this and so much more in tonight's very important breaking news opening monologue.

(MUSIC)
HANNITY: As you just saw, President Trump moments ago wrapping up a toast with the French president at the first state dinner. The special relationship blossoming between the president and President Macron. It's just one aspect, it's one of huge Trump diplomatic success.

The mainstream media won't report this, but the Trump administration, they are making incredible strides all over Asia. In fact, with every passing day, the U.S. is now getting closer and closer to holding direct talks with North Korea. Just this week, the dictator Kim Jong Un made a series of concessions, including the suspension of all ballistic missile testing, the closure of a nuclear development site, and North Korea's rocket man even dropped a demand that the U.S. troops leave the Korean peninsula.

Earlier today, President Trump lauded this progress and even had kind words for Kim Jong Un and his newfound willingness to compromise on the world stage. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Kim Jong Un was -- he really has been very open, and I think very honorable from everything we are seeing. Now, a lot of promises have been made by North Korea over the years, but they have never been in this position.

I hope that we will be able to deal in a very open and honorable fashion with North Korea. I started a process, and what I did, everybody thought I was doing it absolutely wrong. But in the meantime, for 25 years, people have been dealing and nothing happened. And a lot is happening right now.

I think we are doing very well. Meetings are being set up, and I want to see denuclearization of North Korea. A lot of concessions have already been made. We have made no concessions despite some of the media saying that I've made concessions. I don't -- I haven't even discussed a concession.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Naturally, instead of reporting the diplomatic progress on the Korean peninsula, which the whole world will thank for if it works. Well, your mainstream media, of course, twisting those remarks in order to trash the president once again and, of course, distract their viewers from Trump's undeniable initial success all over the world stage.

Let's take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN: He said that North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un has acted very -- has been very open and very honorable, and how they have been dealing with, I guess, planning out their meeting to come. What do you make of that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's quite a strong adjective to use for a dictator of a nation that imprisons its people.

ALI VELSHI, MSNBC: He talked about how great Kim Jong Un is being --

STEPHANIE RUHLE, MSNBC: OK, you must talk about this just for a moment.

VELSHI: Yes.

RUHLE: Did he call him a great leader?

VELSHI: He didn't -- I don't know if you use the word great leader. He said honorable --

RUHLE: Honorable.

VELSHI: Yes.

RUHLE: And like --

VELSHI: And open. Called him honorable and open. I don't know if you can -- just in real terms whether you can ever call him open.

AMB. WENDY SHERMAN: If any other president, Democrat or Republican, had used such words, Donald Trump would've been the first person to say it's outrageous to say that a dictator, to someone who represses all the human rights in his country, that let his people starve, takes Americans hostage, is open and honorable?

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN: When I heard the word honorable, I thought of Otto Warmbier's parents who sat two seats with me just so many months ago talking about their son who was tortured in North Korea. How is Kim Jong Un honorable?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's nothing honorable about Kim Jong-un. He's a sociopath.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: You just saw another example the mainstream media attacking this president, no matter what he does. If he gave $10 million to every person on earth, they'd say why not 11?

I guess they forgot about all of Trump's peace through strength of strategy and how it's working, where the United States, remember, we sent multiple carrier strike groups to the region. We increased the sanctions on this rogue regime. We pressured China, and they helped. Oh, yes, and the president called out little Rocket Man's terrible treatment of his own people in a very clear and public way without backing down.

The media is not used to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: No one has shown more contempt for other nations and for the well- being of their own people than the depraved regime in North Korea. It is responsible for the starvation deaths of millions of North Koreans and for the imprisonment, torture, killing, and oppression of countless more.

The horror of life in North Korea is so complete that citizens pay bribes to government officials to have themselves exported aboard as slaves. They would rather be slaves than live in North Korea.

No regime has oppressed its own citizens marked totally or brutally then the cruel dictatorship in North Korea. North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Time for a history lesson. Remember, it was only a few months ago the mainstream media said that Donald Trump's tough action, his rhetoric, it would result in a nuclear holocaust. This was their predictions.

Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN: The idea of a nuclear showdown with North Korea keeps you up at night. I would recommend deleting your Twitter app.

JOHN HEILEMANN, CNN: He is not really being cavalier with a threat about nuclear war. He is being cavalier in a way that makes him seem demented.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN: These are the messages from a person who is not well, from a leader who is not fit for office.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Trump is goading Kim Jong Un to test a nuclear missile again, to prove its reliability, to show him wrong. And fundamentally, I think it comes across as two kindergartners who are jostling each other, except that each has nuclear weapons.

JOE SCARBOROUGH, MSNBC: Too late after 100,000 Americans die.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After a nuclear holocaust.

SCARBOROUGH: Or after a million die.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And that's where we are. This is not an exaggeration.

CHRIS HAYES, MSNBC: Trump's comments about nuclear weapons have experts worried he could literally inadvertently trigger a catastrophe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Catastrophe.

Let's get this straight. President Trump takes a very tough action and the media has a meltdown. The strategy actually brings Kim Jong Un to the negotiating table talking about denuclearization of the entire Korean peninsula. The president makes encouraging remarks, and the media still has a meltdown.

Do know what the media didn't have a meltdown over? How about Obama's appeasement of the mullahs in Iran, in what is probably the dumbest single deal in the history of mankind where the United States of America, where your ex-president gave away 150 billion of your dollars, cargo planes full of cash and other currencies to a regime that chants "death to America, death to Israel" on a weekly basis, burns our flag, burns the Israeli flag, all because of a promise from Iran to temporarily halt their nuclear weapons program. But they still got to spin their centrifuges and we didn't get to inspect anything. That's the dumbest deal ever.

We also didn't see a media freak-out. Remember Bill Clinton, he said -- it's a good deal for the American people. His appeasement of North Korea, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong Un's father. Remember this diplomatic dereliction? Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: This is a good deal for the United States. North Korea will freeze and 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 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 inspectors 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: It didn't work out too well.

So, it's time to learn from the failures on the world stage. Appeasement never works. It incurs aggression.

This is something former President Reagan knew all too well, which is why he refused to relent, refused to appease, refuse to placate the Soviet Union, the former evil empire, as he described them.

Back then, many on the left were also predicting the worst that Reagan would bring us to the brink of nuclear war. And what happened? The Berlin Wall came tumbling down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALD REAGAN, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace.

General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate.

(APPLAUSE)

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And the wall came down. We will have more in President Trump's significant diplomatic process all throughout the show. We will show you how bribing dictators and kissing the rings of despots and murderers has failed all throughout history.

Let's turn to a brand-new explosive report from our own Sara Carter uncovering a damning new revelation about what serious misconduct at some of the highest levels in our government. According to Sara tonight, multiple sources are saying that fired FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe issued a stand down order during the initial phases of the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server.

And according to Carter's sources tonight, McCabe was overseas when he became aware of the investigation and sent electronic communications voicing his displeasure with agents, in other words, doing their job. One FBI official tells Sara Carter, quote, 'McCabe tried to steer people off the private email investigation that appears to be obstruction and should be investigated.'

This, of course, comes on the heels of the I.G. report on McCabe's firing, revealing, quote, 'McCabe said that a high-ranking Obama Justice Department official expressed concerns about FBI agents, taking overt steps in the Clinton Foundation investigation during the presidential campaign.'

So, it's clear that during the 2016 presidential election, the deep state as we have now been reporting over a year was alive and well. Now, we have reached out to Andrew McCabe for comment. We have yet to hear back.

And also breaking tonight, Sara Carter just tweeted out: 'DOJ will make the six months of missing texts that were eventually located by the I.G., that's Horowitz, between Strzok and Page available to Congress sometime tonight or tomorrow, according to sources.' That's developing.

We will comb through all of those texts if and when they become available. This is a huge development. And meanwhile, we know that the House committee chairmen Bob Goodlatte, Trey Gowdy, they are making huge strides on their efforts to hold this deep state accountable.

This week the Republican congressmen, in fact, struck a deal with the Department of Justice and will now gain access documents running the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton and how she mishandled classified information on her unauthorized private email server. These new developments should shine a light on why James Comey gave white glove special treatment to Hillary while turning a blind eye to her serious crimes. Do we have equal justice under the law?

Tonight, there's a new report James Comey has lawyered up and he has, in fact, tapped a personal friend, former U.S. attorney, to help them navigate the current muddy legal water surrounding him. We did reach out to Comey's attorney for comment. He said he's been a part of Comey's legal team since May of 2017. News to me.

Tonight, I have some friendly advice for Comey's lawyer. You might want to acclimate your client with 18 USC 793 about leaking classified information, which is a serious crime. And your client needs to be held accountable.

I've said many times this year, 2018 is the year of the boomerang, and now it's time for the disgraced former FBI director to answer for his deliberate, improper and now potentially criminal actions. I told you this is the biggest abuse of power, corruption, scandal in the history of this country. The media has been entirely missing in action the entire time. And the same can be said of the many people at the highest levels of power.

Sadly, I wonder why they attacked me in the show pretty much hourly, daily. Hannity, Hannity, Hannity.
Joining us now with the breaking news, Fox News contributor Sara Carter, Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett.

Sara, we begin with you. Let's get into a deep dive into this new development.

SARA CARTER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I think one of the most important things we have discovered, Sean, is the fact, and this has been going on for some time. I've been looking into this for over a year now, is that McCabe actually gave a standout order, according to the sources that I spoke with on -- in the early phases of the Hillary Clinton use of a private email. And that would have been in March 2015 after "The New York Times" first broke the story that she was using a private email from government business. Shortly after that story came out, FBI agents with the Washington, D.C., field office opened an investigation into Hillary Clinton and began to look into all aspects of that.

At that time, McCabe was overseas, in Europe, and sent a message according to the sources that I spoke with, electronically, to those agents and told them to back off and to stay away from that. Now, remember, it wasn't until July that when the inspector general had asked at the DOJ, that was in 2015, to open an investigation into Hillary Clinton. And this is a significant development, Sean, because that means there were possibly two stand-down orders. We know that "The Wall Street Journal" reported there was possibly a standout order on the Clinton Foundation investigation. This adds a whole new scope to that and apparently there is evidence to show it.

HANNITY: All right. Let's go to Gregg, the legal side. So much to cover in this.

GREGG JARRETT, FOX NEWS LEGAL ANALYST: If McCabe actually for political reasons gave a stand down order that would arguably be obstruction of justice. Even FBI officials can obstruct their own investigation.

Look, it never made sense that people like David Petraeus, John Deutch, Harold Martin, Sandy Berger, half a dozen other people or prosecuted for doing the exact same thing that Hillary Clinton did. And yet, Comey stood in front of television cameras back in 2016, in July, and said, no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case. He seemed to have amnesia that many reasonable prosecutors, including his own, had done the exact same thing.

So, it's very curious here --

HANNITY: We warned him.

JARRETT: Yes.

HANNITY: Right here. You warned him. I warned him. No good lawyer would let him write this book and go on this tour.

JARRETT: Well, and the other aspect of this is, is we've learned today that he's hired yet another lawyer. Now, the first lawyer --

HANNITY: Patrick Fitzgerald.

JARRETT: That's right, the first lawyer Daniel Richman is that person to whom Comey leaked seven stolen presidential memos, four of which were classified in terms of their conflict.

HANNITY: Is there conflict?

JARRETT: So, now he can hide behind the attorney-client privilege with Richman, and if he also gave those same memos to Fitzgerald, and I believe he did, he has now hired him to hide behind the attorney-client privilege.

HANNITY: That puts Scooter Libby --

JARRETT: That's right.

HANNITY: -- who was recently pardoned, he's the one who put him on trial.

JARRETT: That's correct.

HANNITY: And got a conviction.

JARRETT: That's correct.

HANNITY: Yes.

JARRETT: So, you've got Comey now versus McCabe. And I suspect McCabe is going to start singing like a canary because he is in serious legal jeopardy now with the criminal referral against him for lying to the inspector general.

HANNITY: Sara, last word for you tonight.

CARTER: Well, and I think a lot of people are singing like canaries. That includes Peter Strzok and Lisa page and everybody else who are involved in this.

HANNITY: Why do they still have top security clearance? Why do they still have access to this information?

CARTER: Well, and I think it's important because I think the inspector general still has access to them as long as they're still employed. And remember they are civil servants so it's not easy to get rid of them. But I have a feeling that they are actually cooperating, and that's why they're there.

HANNITY: Last word, Gregg.

JARRETT: I think when the inspector general report comes out and criminal referrals are made, plea deals are going to be had, and people are going to start flipping and incriminating and implicating other people. And one of those people may be James Comey who is now hocking his book, pocketing millions of dollars and he better hang onto that cash because he made need for his criminal defense.

HANNITY: Amazing. Guys, great reporting. Thank you, Gregg. Thank you, Sara.

Earlier today, President Trump praised the cooperation between France and the United States standing up to the mullahs in Tehran as well as fighting ISIS radicals. Take a look from earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: France in the United States also agree that Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. And that regime must end its support of terrorists.

All over, nowhere -- no matter where you go in the Middle East, you see the fingerprints of Iran behind problems.

I also want to thank President Macron for France's vital conservation to our very successful campaign against ISIS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Here with reaction, former deputy assistant to the president and Fox News national security strategist, Sebastian Gorka, and NRA TV contributor, former Secret Service agent, Dan Bongino.

All across Asia, you see these -- you see all these relationships, the prime minister of Japan, the president of China capitulating on intellectual property rights, on trade, on automobiles, on tariffs.

You see what was unspeakable, Dr. Gorka, an amazing alliance to combat Iranian hegemony between the United States, Israel, the Saudis, the Emirates, the Jordanians, Egyptians. Unthinkable in the Obama years.

SEBASTIAN GORKA, NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGIST, FOX NEWS: Yes, and all of this in just 15 months. I mean, think about what he has achieved. We have NATO, we have the French prime minister within minutes of meeting the president on the state visit saying you want us to spend more on our defense, stop being freeloaders? You've got it.

The NATO secretary general has done the same. That's after decades of freeloading inside NATO. We've seen ISIS decimated in terms of the physical caliphate. We've seen all of our friends and allies reassured in Asia and, it goes on and on and on. It's really quite stunning that these are the kinds of results you would be proud of as the president at the end of your second term, may be at the end of your first term but not at the end of your very, very first term.

The idea, just the idea that Sunni states, Arab Sunni states are now cooperating hand in glove with Israel to deal with the threat of Jihadi violence. It's stunning.

HANNITY: It is unbelievable. And it's interesting. As the president isolated North Korea, we saw, Dan Bongino, what the North Koreans did. And the relationship, the good relationship that President Trump had with the president of China. That played a big part in all of this.

And acquiescing on major issues. Now you see the same thing happening, the alliance created against the Iranian mullahs.

DAN BONGINO, CONTRIBUTOR, NRATV: Yes.

HANNITY: Very different approach than backing up 150 billion in cash and other currencies and cargo planes.

BONGINO: Yes, Sean, I think one of Trump's assets has been his unpaid debility. You can chalk that up to whatever you want. I mean, the left- leaning hacks and the media have been taking pot shots at Trump and his foreign policy forever. You know, Sebastian is right. They mocked him over his approach to NATO until these countries started making larger commitments to NATO.

They mocked him over his approach to North Korea. He's going to get us into nuclear war. Now the North Koreans are coming to the table with at least talks. I don't want to oversell it, for denuclearization.

You can't deny the fact, Sean, that his relationship with China, the economic pressure he put on China due to his terror threat, probably had something to do with this. But you know, it's really, I mean, honestly, it's sad as an American to watch the media, and not all of them. There are a few of come around a little bit on this but most of them just continue to mock this guy as some kind of a buffoon as he runs rings about what Obama did in eight years.

HANNITY: All right. I want to thank you both. Incredible night, incredible opportunity for the world too. Appeasement never works. Peace through strength works. Again, we saw with Neville Chamberlain versus Winston Churchill. All the people that were against Ronald Reagan, and we see it working here. Obama's appeasement didn't work. Clinton's appeasement didn't work. Unbelievable.

All right. So much of a breaking news tonight. Ed Henry has a live report on the president's high-stakes summit with the French president from earlier today. And Ainsley Earhardt and so much more. Straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: We are looking live at the White House where President Trump, the first lady Melania Trump, hosting the French president and his wife Brigitte for a state dinner.

Joining us now from the White House with much more is reactions to the president's visit from France, Fox News chief national correspondent. A busy breaking news night and we do have new news breaking from our own Catherine Herridge, I believe about Comey's memo leak contact had special employee status. This guy Richman, the Columbia professor. Ed Henry?

ED HENRY, CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, FOX NEWS: Yes, absolutely. That's something that is breaking tonight. The Comey memos still resonating and impacting. But you're right. The president also conducting a lot of business with the French president. They appear to make some progress in dealing with Iran. And that matters big time.

Because think back to what the Iranian foreign minister said on Sunday. He basically threatened that if the U.S. pulls out of the nuclear deal, Iran is going to speed up its nuclear activities.

So this is a big deal. Because what happens tonight as Bob Corker, the Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, no ally of this president was on Fox with our own (Inaudible) was saying that he thinks the president is making some strong moves with his French counterpart, particularly on Iran and that this may make the world safer.

The president appears to be developing is a compromise with President Macron of France on reshaping the Iran nuclear deal instead of scrapping it altogether. The president again today said the deal is insane and he wants to get rid of it if he has to. But added also, if Tehran restarts its nuclear program, quote, "you can mark it down. They will have bigger problems than they've ever had before."

President Macron, meanwhile, largely supports the Obama brokered deal but said today he wants to address President Trump's concerns by building on the original agreement instead of scrapping it altogether. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Because this is a deal with decayed foundations. It's a bad deal. It's a bad structure. It's falling down. If Iran threatens us in any way, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid.

EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): No matter what it is about building the stable framework that will contribute to stability. It's not about tearing apart in agreement and have nothing but it's about building something new that will cover all of our concerns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now these two leaders have also built some rapport after those Syrian air strikes you see that the U.S. and France conducted together as allies. But there is a split over how long U.S. troops should stay in Syria. The president saying he wants to make big decisions in a very short period of time for pulling out U.S. troops.

Macron today said he wants to stretch out that timetable. But the bottom line is what you are seeing is progress on some of these key issues. And just some of the president's critics knocked him for some of the tough rhetoric last year on North Korea, now you see North Korea at the table. The president continuing the tough rhetoric aimed at Iran. And now you see the French president trying here to broker a way forward, Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Ed Henry at the White House tonight. We appreciate it, as always. Joining is now both North Carolina congressmen is the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus and also Freedom Caucus member Florida congressman. Full disclosure who I want to be the next Florida governor, and Mark Meadows, I actually shared a cookie with him in a green room in Washington, D.C. Full disclosure.

Welcome, both of you, back to the program. Congressman Meadows, let me go back. Are we really going to get six months’ worth of Strzok-Page memos? And what percentage of those memos would that be?

REP. MARK MEADOWS, R—N.C.: Well, I do believe that we'll get those. I can tell you the Department of Justice is working very closely with Chairman Gowdy and Chairman Goodlatte to try to make sure that we get them.

But there is a critical gap right now about three critical months of the Page-Strzok memos that we believe will be very enlightening. In fact, some of that we believe will put some context to Director Comey's claims that, you know, he was just an innocent bystander in all of this. We don't believe that the facts are bearing it out.

HANNITY: Interesting report by Sara Carter tonight. Do you -- well, I guess you probably wouldn't be able to answer if you didn't know. So I won't. I will spare my time.

One of the things that we know over a year ago, the State Department was supposed to hand over some 72,000 Clinton e-mails, Congressman DeSantis. We are still waiting for those emails. Do we know if that's part of the deleted e-mails? And is there any knowledge if those 33,000 emails were ever recovered that we know that she tried to acid wash and destroy?

REP. RON DESANTIS, R—FLA.: That's the thing, Sean. You almost always confined the emails somewhere. And yet in this case, it was the FBI's judgment that hey, these 30,000 emails, we just can't find them. Now in Judicial Watch litigation for FOIA, you know, they've identified the backup server by Datto Inc as potentially having those.

The FBI never searched that. I asked Christopher Wray whether they did. You know, he could not confirm that they did. So we need to look at all the possible areas where those emails were because when you have emails subpoenaed, you don't just turn over the ones that you want to turn over and then acid wash the rest. That's not the way it works.

I think there were a lot of work-related emails that they deleted. They may have been e-mails related to the foundation and other things that are of interest to Congress, so we've got to find them if they are out there.

HANNITY: Congressman Meadows, if you look at the original, the exoneration of Comey and Strzok. And Strzok eventually interviewed Hillary. The original exoneration written months before the investigation, or the interview of Hillary and 17 other people. They had said and it had been reported that five foreign agencies have hacked into Hillary's server in the mom-and-pop bathroom closet.

OK, so here's my question that means they exist. You know, WikiLeaks is a separate issue. They've always said it's not Russia. But if James Comey's original piece said that these entities had hacked into it, that means other countries likely have them. So wouldn't it mean we would be able to recover those e-mails? Because I don't believe these 33,000 emails about any one wedding, funeral, or yoga that exist on this planet.

MEADOWS: Well, you don't believe that. I don't believe that. And more importantly, the American people, Sean, don't believe that because as we look at 30,000 emails, getting rid of those, you know, isn't it interesting that there may be more foreign governments with Hillary Clinton e-mails than Congress or those who are going after it. You know, I just find it inexcusable.

And so, as we looked at this, the bigger picture really right now is, are we going to get to the bottom of it. I can tell you that the people I have the privilege of serving said it's about time that we get to the bottom of it. And I think that the coming days will provide a lot of fruit.

HANNITY: It's amazing how everything has backfired and is boomeranging. Both of you have done a phenomenal job. The American people deserve to get the truth on emails, about fixed investigations, about FISA abuses, about Hillary paying for a dossier full of Russian -- we need to get to the bottom of all of it.

All right. When we get back, President Trump's state dinner with the French president. Ainsley Earhardt is here and also to talk a about a new book, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Fox News alert. You are looking live at the White House where President Trump and the first lady are currently hosting the French president and his wife for their first state dinner, and the first state dinner of the administration.

According to the White House press secretary Sarah Sanders the first lady planned every detail of it.

Here now with reaction, author of the brand-new book out today "The Light Within Me," Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt.

AINSLEY EARHARDT, CO-HOST, FOX NEWS: Thank you.

HANNITY: You are with us at the -- first of all, congratulations on the book.

EARHARDT: Thank you so much.

HANNITY: You were there at the inauguration. Remember that? And this is the first state dinner. I couldn't believe everyone's clothes in the hat. Why do people go there all the time?

EARHARDT: To be honest with you, most of America is looking to see what she is wearing in a positive way. Some of the headlines if you read them, it's trying to taint the story. She, these state dinners are really difficult to plan.

Did you read Laura Bush's book. I don't know if you did but I read it and she went on and on about the state learners and how much time and detail goes into each of them. If you are hosting France, you try to use the colors of their flag. You try to use a meal that has some French themes. You try to choose--

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I am wearing jeans.

EARHARDT: You can't -- yes, Sean, you are not invited for a reason.

HANNITY: I'm wearing jeans.

EARHARDT: But so, the headlines today were media, armchair fashionista had takes on Melania's giant hat like she has an entire birdcage under there. Hollywood Reporter, is Melania Trump channeling Celine Dion, Beyonce? Times says, Melania Trump's massive white hat has cause quite a stir. You know what.

HANNITY: It's just mean.

EARHARDT: You know what everyone is saying? Everyone that I've talked to is saying what a beautiful hat.

HANNITY: Yes.

EARHARDT: She looks gorgeous. She had the last laugh.

HANNITY: All right. Before you release your book, you're kind enough to give me a copy, and I had a chance to go over the book and read it.

(CROSSTALK)

EARHARDT: And write a little blurb for me. Thank you.

HANNITY: I did write a blurb along with Tim Tebow. You have some pretty good friends, high-ranking friends in your life. Anyway, I said in very few public figures would be this real. I mean, you talk openly about your Christian faith.

You dedicate the book to Jesus, and you talk about this on the program. You talk about really hard things in your life. And you reveal all of these things. I could never do that. I am a more private. Tell us why it tells about the things in the book.

EARHARDT: Well, when HarperCollins came to me and they said we want you to write a memoir about your faith, I thought a memoir is usually for someone who is 75 years old. I thought I don't feel like I have had enough of a life. And I felt like just -- I didn't wanted to be all about me.

But then when they say we want you to talk about your faith, it's like God asking you to tell his story and what he's done in my life. And I can't say no to that. And I continue to say yes to God. I haven't always in every situation, but I've learned the hard way that if you don't say yes when God is nudging you to do something, then you won't be blessing someone's life. Or you won't be giving him the glory that he deserves. So I had to say yes.

HANNITY: You did a lot of assignments over the years for Hannity's America and for this program. I mean, we were terrible. I think you were expecting a child and we sent you down to spring break. And with my brother in law actually--

EARHARDT: I was pregnant. I was pregnant. It was spring break, yes.

HANNITY: Right. And you talk about that but you also talk about in relation to your own life. And this is a pretty powerful moment where you actually said to yourself I'm not living the right way.

EARHARDT: Right. I was at a fraternity party. I was in a sorority, half of my sorority really strong Christians, I would say. There was a bible study and several of us were in a separate bible study. But I was living with, you now, one-foot in the bar and one-foot at bible study.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: One foot in the bar.

EARHARDT: And I'm not saying you have to stop drinking, you have to do all of this if you become a Christian. And lot of people, they believe that life is not going to be fun anymore but I was at a fraternity party and I asked Jesus to come into my life. The whole story is in there.

HANNITY: And that changed. It's very personal. I think a lot of people will get a lot out of it. It's called "Light Within Me," an inspirational memoir. Also congrats on the show with Brian and Steve.

EARHARDT: Thank you.

HANNITY: We hope you will come back. Great to see you. Thanks, Ainsley.

EARHARDT: Thank you so much for your support.

HANNITY: I appreciate it. Congratulations on the book.

EARHARDT: Thank you. Amazon.com. Hannity.com. Bookstores everywhere. Terrifying video next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. Some very tense moments this morning in Palmetto Bay in Florida. Shortly after 9 a.m. Miami-Dade fire rescue workers. Look at that, responding to a call. Two men in distress. The scaffolding they were working on suddenly gave way. Now, this shocking footage shows this two construction workers suspended from safety lines near the collapsed scaffolding which was hanging from the side of the building, three floors above landing.

Now after dangling for over an hour, the first responders were able to pull both men to safety. Thank God no injuries. These first responders, Miami-Dade fire rescue, you guys are amazing. Thank God these guys are safe. Unbelievable. I was once, I was on scaffolding a lot in my life. Some pretty high. It's scary up there. Glad they are OK.

All right, that's all the time we have left. We will always be fair and balanced. We are not the destroy-Trump media. That's why they hate us, but that's why we are so thankful you support us. Anyway, let not your heart be troubled. Laura Ingraham standing by.

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