Nikki Haley says the Soleimani strike left the Iranian regime shaking in their boots
Tehran is having the regroup and figure out what's next following President Trump's decision to take out their top general, says Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," January 6, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Happy New Year to all.
Welcome to "Hannity."
Buckle up. We have a lot to cover tonight, including an absolute beat-down of Hollywood by Ricky Gervais. You just heard Tucker. We'll play that tape. We've got a lot more to get into.
Oh, Colin Kaepernick back in the news, too. We'll touch that.
Plus, a lot of trouble tonight for Joe 30330.
But, first, this is where we begin. We're only 302 days away from the 2020 presidential election where you get the final say. In less than a year, you will decide the future of this great country of ours.
Now, we promise the best election coverage on television with the latest developments. We'll have breaking reports on the radical socialist Democrats, their liberal insanity, the impact to the country and the world, and, of course, the complicit media mob. In other words, the corrupt, lying, state-run DNC TV.
And unlike the media mob, we will thoroughly vet on this program the 2020 Democrats. Make no mistake: our great American way of life, our prosperity, our security, our liberties, our freedoms, our values, it is all at stake and in play in 302 days.
And we'll also be launching, by the way, tomorrow morning on Hannity.com everything you need to know about voting -- all the deadlines in your state, your congressional races, early voting dates, absentee voting dates
-- to be a more informed electorate. It's now more clear than ever, Democrats care more about bashing this president than about literally anything else.
For example, the strike that took out Iranians terrorist leader Soleimani, a huge success. The world is safer. One of the world's worst terrorists, most powerful terrorist is dead.
The mob and the media, the Democratic Party, they just seem distraught. In fact, today, Nancy Pelosi, speaker in name only, announced a resolution trying to tell the commander-in-chief what he can do and cannot do in Iran.
Pelosi, obviously, again, knows nothing about the U.S. Constitution, separations of powers. Yes, he is the elected commander-in-chief, not her.
And this totally unenforceable, non-binding resolution is nothing more than the latest political hit job to undermine the president and, frankly, make us less safe as a country. It also gives the mullahs of Iran, oh, another talking point. Oh, the Democrats, they even say.
Now, we are getting lectures, get this, from the Benghazi Democrats, the bribe Iranian mullah appeasers, and the swamp -- how did that Biden/Obama
$150 billion bribe work out for any of us? The answer we now know -- it was a disaster.
And now, the president is cleaning up their created mess. Even Obama's DHS secretary believes President Trump utilized his full constitutional authority to take this action and, yes, we are better off.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEH JOHNSON, FORMER DHS SECRETARY: If you believe everything that our government is saying about General Soleimani, he was a lawful military objective. And the president under his constitutional authority as commander-in-chief had ample domestic legal authority to take him out without an additional congressional authorization.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: The hypocrisy, as usual, palpable. And let's not forget, Secretary Johnson's former boss, President Obama, he himself launched 2,800 strikes in Iraq and Syria, guess what, Nancy? No congressional approval.
The speaker had no problem with any of that. Now, when President Trump, he takes out the leading terrorist and American soldier killer outside of Baghdad, and she wants answers.
All this is, are repulsive, continuous, never-ending double standards, more feign, selective moral outrage -- only this time, it impacts our safety and security at home, our fellow American citizens abroad, our interest abroad.
So, let me educate Nancy Pelosi. Let me educate all the other far left, rage-filled idiots in the media mob and elsewhere. We have a new segment we're starting right now tonight called "How to deal with the world's most evil terrorists for dummies".
First and foremost, you can't live in fear. Second, you can't bribe your sworn enemies into liking you. That is called appeasement. Appeasement, when you try it, always results in further aggression. What you're doing is you're literally teaching our enemies how to blackmail you.
Iranian aggression must be checked or it will get worse. And it has gotten worse and worse and worse. They must know their hostile actions have consequences.
And they don't get to shoot at our drones and take them out of the sky.
They don't get to take oil tankers hostage in a very narrow Straits of Hormuz. They don't get to disrupt the world's oil supply, the lifeblood of the world's economy by then hitting the Saudis so they can make more money.
They don't get to kill our fellow Americans in Iraq. They don't get to actively plot the murder of American State Department employees abroad.
They don't get to orchestrate attacks on our embassy, our family, our U.S.
family, our interests, American territory.
They don't get to fund terrorism worldwide. They can't fight their proxy wars all across the globe as they've been doing, and they can't try and take over the entire region and not expect some reprisals.
The Iranians frankly fighting -- have been fighting against us and the civilized world since 1979. That is a fact. A hundred and fifty billion in cash and other currencies did nothing to change that.
And tonight, the hostile regime in Iran is reeling. Their top terrorist, Soleimani, will never see the light of day. Good riddance. Bye.
His daughter proclaiming American soldiers will now be murdered all over world in retaliation. Iran's government vowing to take revenge. On state TV, one official offering an $80 million bounty for President Trump's head.
Now, that would be called saber-rattling. By the way, this for the Iranians is pretty much an average day. They hate America. They hate Israel. They threatened to wipe Israel off the map and they want to take America too. That's a daily filling (ph). It's been that way since 1979.
They are bad, evil actors in Iran. They're evil, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are stupid. They know that there's a new sheriff in town tonight. They now know tonight, the days of $150 million dollars in bribes and cash and other currencies dropped on their tarmac are now over.
And they better know that if any retribution does occur, it will result in serious and lethal consequences.
I warned them that this would happen, oh, just a couple of months ago. They will pay the deadliest of prices. And without a doubt, they are now in a position of weakness, and we control the single, most powerful, advance, sophisticated military in the entire world with the greatest intelligence agencies.
Remember, I kept saying the 99 percent. We saw this in action. President Trump has already identified at least 52 Iranian targets that the U.S. will take out if needed.
And no, we can't and we won't be going with boots on the ground in Iran.
That's not going to happen. And, frankly, it's not necessary.
Instead, the president has been clear: we will strategically take out the mullah's ability to continue this reckless behavior, this saber-rattling, these attempts to bribe other countries or get paid or blackmail other countries. They are not going to be able to disrupt the lifeblood of the world's economy, oil, as much as they have been trying.
Now, we are not -- and let me be clear -- I do not support boots on the ground. After Vietnam and Iraq and the swamp creatures, they send our brave men and women, our national treasure door-to-door, endless wars, and then they say "never mind" -- those days must forever be over. I've been saying this for sometime.
This is about what I've been calling the next generation of weaponry, offensive and defensive, much of which is already at our disposal. In other words, that can and will be utilized to strike Iran's dictatorship where it will hurt them the most. They've got three major oil refineries and we know where they are. They have nuclear facilities, we know where they are.
We know Iran's terrorists network. Maybe even the mullahs themselves, maybe the mullahs, they're so brave. Maybe President Rouhani, maybe he and the mullahs can hang out in one of those three major refineries, good luck if they do, because at this very moment, I can promise you, the United States military has the power to wreak total, complete havoc to this hostile regime in Iran.
And, by the way, they can do it in a control room right here, in an air- conditioned room in Tampa, or maybe Nevada, anywhere in the continental United States, and they can do so in a matter of minutes. That's a fact.
The days of bribing our enemies and dictators and evildoers around the world, if you will, are over. There will be no pallets of cash left on the tarmac for the mullahs in Iran. Iran's dictatorship, they have a choice.
They either comply. They learn their lessons, or they will feel pain like never before.
If you knock out those three refineries, their economy will totally and completely collapse. And despite the whining and the complaining predictably among Democrats and the stupid commentators on TV and the media mob, top military experts agree that the president's strategy is effective.
In fact, General David Petraeus said that this strike against Soleimani was a bigger deal than killing bin Laden. I put a lot of faith on what Petraeus has to say. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID PETRAEUS, RETIRED U.S. ARMY GENERAL: What has happened here, I think, is frankly that we lost the element of deterrence, the component deterrence that was seen as American will. So, ultimately, the president appears to have decided that it was necessary to take an action to shore up deterrence, to show that we were not going to accept this.
GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: I think the administration understands that there is a serious risk of consequences here. I think they understand that it's unlikely that the Iranian regime is going to now come hat in hand to the negotiating table.
GEN. JACK KEANE (RET.), INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR: But the president showed restraint and he put a red line out there, Sandra. He said, look it, if you kill Americans, then I'm going to respond. And when that took place, this president responded.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: The president showed more patience than I thought he'd even show.
Joining us now with more, Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw. He has served our country, honorably.
The author of "Double Crossfire", retired Army Brigadier General Tony Tata is with us.
General, let's start with you.
I never thought giving $150 billion dollars in cash and other currency would ever buy any goodwill, sort of like the 9/11 Commission report. They were at war with us. We weren't war with them.
The Iranians have really been at war and threatening America and threatening Israel and threatening the region now since 1979.
TONY TATA, RETIRED ARMY BRIGADIER GENERAL: Yes, Sean, happy New Year.
It was a failed strategy that President Obama had. You know, the -- he was a bad guy, Soleimani was a terrible guy. He killed a lot of my soldiers with these explosively formed penetrator IEDs that he employed in Iraq and, you know, I'm glad he's dead.
And what I can't understand is why the liberals are celebrating Soleimani.
And they can't accept that this president really has a solid strategy for Iran. It's been clearly articulated, where, you know, we continue to apply maximum pressure so that they quit exporting terrorism throughout the region and the world, quite frankly, and they stop building nukes. They can be a nuclear country like Japan with nuclear reactors, but not with nuclear weapons.
Quit this drive to hegemony in Southwest Asia, quite oppressing your people while we continue to defend our U.S. vital interests in the region, which is people, property and the free flow of oil through the shipping lanes.
It's very clear what the -- the president has been clear about his goals in the region.
HANNITY: And, Dan Crenshaw, obviously, the other countries in the region, this -- you told me five years ago that the Israelis, the United States, the Jordanians, Egyptians, the Saudis and the Emirates would be aligned and sharing intelligence against Iranian hegemony that the general is just talking about. I wouldn't have believed.
What -- I think the answer on why the Democrats are the way they are, there is nothing Donald Trump can do that the left would give him credit for. If he cured cancer, they'd impeach him for that. So, we understand where they're coming from.
Long term, how do you see the Iranians reacting to this, Congressman?
REP. DAN CRENSHAW, R-TEXAS: Well, I think they're going to -- to continue to try and escalate. You know, everybody keeps saying, well, what if the Iranians respond? Now, they're not responding, they're continuing to escalate. We are the ones who responded to their systematic and deliberate violent escalation.
OK. It started off with a drone, started off with oil tankers. Then it became rocketing our bases. Then it became attacking our embassy.
To say that we shouldn't disrupt that systematic escalation is absurd. And I can't believe Democrats are actually making that argument.
You know, not too long ago, they were decrying Donald Trump for pulling out of Syria and living our Kurdish allies, which I agree with. But at least I'm consistent. They're not. So, now, they don't want us protecting our own Americans in Iraq.
They're not principled. They're not coming at this with principles backing them up. They are coming at this politically-minded, to be against Donald Trump no matter what.
So, Iranians will continue to escalate, I believe. I think they're searching for those options right now, and we ought to be ready for them.
Our defenses have to be up and we have to maintain a stiff backbone and be ready to respond when they attack.
HANNITY: Let me ask you both this -- militarily, do you agree with me that if their big three refineries are hit, General, the impact devastate -- there's already been a huge impact based on the president's sanctions economically. That's why I think there's been so much saber-rattling.
But if those refineries are hit, I believe that would probably take down their economy. Am I overstating that?
TATA: I don't think you are, Sean. This president -- this administration is the best I have ever seen at synchronizing and leveraging the elements of national power which primarily include diplomatic information, military and economic. And you just heard the congressman say about the restraint that the president demonstrated.
Meanwhile, during the spring, summer and fall of this past year, the president was leveraging economic power, diplo -- he made diplomatic overtures, he was leveraging information power.
And it was only when they crossed the red line, they killed an American citizen and wounded others, did the president react and rightfully so, stop an attack on our embassy.
The liberals -- the left wants another Benghazi. That's -- that's what they were driving for and they are so upset that they didn't get it, quite frankly.
HANNITY: Yes.
TATA: And that's a terrible thing to see and a terrible -- you know, the left -- it used to be politics stopped at the shore.
HANNITY: No, forget it.
TATA: Well, now, the politics go all the way into their Kool-Aid and they drink it. And what you've got now is the left just -- doesn't -- cannot be trusted with national security anymore.
HANNITY: Wow, what a powerful statement, because they play politics with it, isn't that so?
Congressman Crenshaw, you fought for your country. I can't -- I will never support boots on the ground. These guys start wars, they politicize it, and they say never mind.
Fifty-eight thousand in Vietnam, nearly 5,000 in Iraq and Afghanistan. We can't have our boys go on, and our national treasury, our troops going door-to-door anymore. That would be the job of the Iranians, the Iraqis, or anybody else.
But we can use the powerful superior weaponry. Do you agree with me, that that is now the new paradigm?
CRENSHAW: Yes, absolutely. And -- well, and I think it's important to point something out. There is a straw man argument made by the left, right? They keep saying no war with Iran.
Well, that's not what Trump is saying. That's actually not what any of us are saying at all.
HANNITY: Nobody.
CRENSHAW: Because there's a huge difference -- there is a huge difference between responding necessarily and full-on ground war. And they seem to want you to think that the options are do nothing and continue to get punched on the face by Iran, or full on war on the ground in Iran.
And that's just not the case. There is a lot in between. And any sober- minded person knows this.
I think they continue too, but they are being deliberately dishonest. They're spinning up the public. And it's -- it's all for politics.
And it's really sad to see.
HANNITY: It's sad.
CRENSHAW: Because we should be united in this.
HANNITY: Well said, both of you. Thank you both, great heroes of our country.
It's now obvious. President Trump inherited a geopolitical disaster from the Obama-Biden administration. The failed Iranian nuclear deal did nothing but emboldened Iran and supply its terrorist proxies with billions in new funding.
Joe Biden, he is blaming Trump, of course, for Iran's hostility, even saying the president has no authority to strike Iran.
The problem with -- well, Joe 30330 in '96, then-Senator Biden was singing a much different tune and we have the tape. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a suggestion now that Iran may be in involved in the bombing of U.S. service barracks in Tehran. Do you know anything about this? The secretary of defense has hinted on it, and if, in fact, we find another country having been directly involved, what should we do?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think Iran is behind this, Senator?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I don't know. But the fact is it looks like there's -- it looks like there's --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I give you the last word --
(CROSSTALK)
THEN-SEN. JOE BIDEN, D-DEL.: It's an act of war, if they do. And they yield their sovereignty. Wiretaps won't change that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An act of war, an act of war --
(CROSSTALK)
BIDEN: And the United States can take whatever actions it deems appropriate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Here with reaction, author of the new book "With All Due Respect," former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley.
Nikki, Governor, Ambassador -- should call you that, excuse me.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: Good to see you. Happy New Year.
NIKKI HALEY, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Good to see you. Happy New Year.
HANNITY: We are friends. We are friends.
I watch this, and I'm thinking, wow, -- do they want to bribe the mullahs again? The Clintons bribed Kim Jong-il. That didn't work out. Bribing the mullahs didn't work out.
And, by the way, there was never any place, any time inspections anyway associated with that 10-year deal that expired, for $150 billion.
To me, the Iranians have been at war with the world. They want Iranian hegemony.
Am I wrong?
HALEY: You know, I mean, you've got to look at the fact that the general provisions of the Iran deal were going to end in October. So, we're going towards a time where we have to bring them to the negotiating table anyway.
But make no mistake, Sean. What the president did left the Iranian regime completely flat-footed. They did not see this coming. They thought they could continue to do their multiple strikes.
But when it got to the lives of Americans, the president is never going to allow that to happen. It happened with the contractor. When they started to threaten our diplomats at the embassy, our military personnel, the president put a stop to it.
You could see the ayatollah crying today, because that was his number one strategist. That was the number one guy that has literally told all of the proxies in all of these countries who to kill, when to kill, how to kill.
And that guy is now gone.
HANNITY: And killing Americans.
HALEY: So, Iran is having to regroup and figure out, now what?
So, make no mistake. They're shaking in their boots. They're trying to figure this out.
HANNITY: Well --
HALEY: And I think the president showed great decisiveness, great resolve.
And I think that this was a long time coming. If you look back two years ago, I gave a speech at the U.N. on Soleimani, and talked about the threats. The president has had restraint all of this time since we gave that speech.
And I will tell you, we said then, he was not -- by the entire Security Council, he was banned from leaving Iran. What was he doing in Iraq anyway?
Trying to move in.
HANNITY: Great question, yes.
What -- do you agree with -- listen, I have always liked General Petraeus.
He's a great general, patriot, hero in this country. He said, it's impossible to overstate the importance of this particular action. It's more significant than the killing of bin Laden, even the death of al- Baghdadi.
And he said Soleimani was the architect, operational commander of the Iranian effort to solidify control, the so-called Shia crescent stretching from Iran to Iraq, through Syria and Southern Lebanon.
I think that's the reason why the Jordanians, Egyptians and Saudis now are working with the Israelis, which I don't think anybody saw coming.
HALEY: Well, and I -- I will tell you this. You don't see anyone standing up for Iran.
You're not hearing any of the Gulf members. You're not hearing China.
You're not hearing Russia. The only ones that are mourning the loss of Soleimani are our Democrat leadership, and our Democrat presidential candidates.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: That is sad.
HALEY: No one else in the world, because they knew that this man had evil veins. They knew what he was capable of. And they saw the destruction and the lives lost based from his hands.
And so --
HANNITY: What a dumb -- we have been hearing, oh, he's evil, he's a murderer, he killed Americans, and he -- it's the number one state sponsor of terror. And they're fighting all these proxy wars, but, oh, we don't want to make them mad.
That's what it sounds like to me.
HALEY: You know, and you go tell that to the 608 American families who lost a loved one.
Go tell that to the military members who lost a limb. This was something that needed to be done, and should be celebrated.
And I will tell you right now, partisan politics should stop when it comes to foreign policy. This is about America united.
We need to be completely behind the president, what he did, because every one of those countries are watching our news media right now, seeing what everyone's saying. And this is a moment of strength for the United States. It's a moment of strength for President Trump.
HANNITY: I think Rouhani and the mullahs, they need to go to the refineries. Just go visit. Just hang out there for a few days.
All right, Governor, Ambassador Nikki Haley, thank you for being with us.
Directly ahead tonight, the big news on the impeachment front. Republicans are fighting back and hard standing with the president. They better do that. And I'll explain, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: All right. Republicans are fighting back against the left's baseless impeachment sham.
Today, Senate Judiciary member, Josh Hawley, Senator Hawley proposed a measure to dismiss the House articles of impeachment if they are not sent to the Senate within 25 calendar days of their adoption, which was December the 18th.
And Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, who will be with us tomorrow, has given Speaker Pelosi an ultimatum: send over the articles by the end of the week, or he will work with Mitch McConnell to start the impeachment trial without her permission.
Joining us now, Senator Josh Hawley.
First, I want to applaud you. The idea that, oh, we're just going to hold them indefinitely. Oh, we're going to lecture the Senate on how they will do their business as if that constitutional authority somehow befalls on them, or arguing that the president is not the commander-in-chief.
This is important. That means that if I read -- my dates are right, that this case can be disposed of by January 11th.
Am I reading that right?
SEN. JOSH HAWLEY, R-MO.: That's right. This is day 19, Sean. And this is so important because the House speaker is trying to run the United States Senate. She is trying to hijack the trial. She's trying to obstruct the trial.
And in so doing, she is really subverting the Constitution, because the Constitution is clear. It says the House has the power to impeach.
They've done that. Wrong decision, but they've done it.
The Senate has the power to try the case. And it's time for the Senate to fight back.
HANNITY: What happened to all that urgency that it had to be done in record time?
HAWLEY: Yes, exactly. You know, we heard nothing but how urgent it was the president to be removed, what a national security threat he was, whatever that was supposed to mean. And now, all of a sudden, no urgency at all.
And I think what that shows, Sean, is the only urgency on the part of the Democrats and Pelosi was an urgency to pursue their personal vendetta against the president of the United States. They never accepted his election. They never wanted him in office. They wanted to get him out.
But now, when it's time to put up or shut up and actually put their evidence forward, they're afraid to do it because they don't have any evidence. It's a sham.
HANNITY: Well, let me ask you --
HAWLEY: It's a joke. It's a fraud.
HANNITY: So, they had all of their witnesses. It's their job to impeach and House managers supposedly -- supposed to present their case before the Senate based on what they came up with. Now, they're talking about, no, we want to add all these other witnesses that they didn't call or fight to get.
To me, they are asking now the Senate to do the job they should have done.
Now, at the end of the day, when you eliminate opinion witnesses, and hearsay witnesses, you only have one fact witness. And that was Ambassador Sondland.
What did the president want? Nothing. I want no quid pro quo.
So, to me, it's a slam-dunk, and the idea also of an obstruction charge when there is a conflict between the executive and legislative branch and they seek remedy in the other branch of government known as the judiciary, and the Supreme Court is reviewing, that -- that's not reason for obstruction.
HAWLEY: No, never has it been, Sean, in the past. And, look, they have no-- they have no case and they know it. And that's why they're afraid to proceed to a trial.
The Senate is ready to have a trial. The president deserves to have a trial. The American people deserve to have a trial so we can put this thing to rest. And now, Speaker Pelosi wants to have this go on for who knows how long?
Here's the thing, Sean --
HANNITY: Let me ask you --
HAWLEY: -- it's been 19 days. It could be 90 days. I mean, it will never end unless we take action.
HANNITY: No, they want to live in a constant state of impeaching the president. I got that. If he cured cancer, they'd impeach him for that.
I say it all the time.
Here's the thing -- where is Mitt Romney? Where is Murkowski? Where is Lamar Alexander? Where is Susan Collins?
HAWLEY: Well, I can't speak for anybody but myself. But I'll tell you this, Sean, when I introduced my resolution today, we immediately got 10 co-sponsors in the Senate, including members of leadership.
The people that I talked to in the Senate, my colleagues, they're very frustrated. They're sick and tired of what the House is doing. They're sick and tired of the Democrats' antics, and they're ready to stand up for the Constitution. And I believe they will.
HANNITY: Good for you, Senator. Great job. And between you and Lindsey Graham and others, I do believe that we're talking about the president here -- this is not a game. And they have now lowered the bar for impeachment, basically spitting on the sidewalk or jaywalking. Thank you for being with us.
Here now with reaction, House Judiciary Committee member, Matt Gaetz, Fox News contributor, Jason Chaffetz.
Jason, you actually filled me (ph) on TV. We actually gave Gaetz my radio microphone. We can't pay him. It's illegally apparently. So, he did it for free.
Isn't that great?
REP. MATT GAETZ, R-FLA.: I loved it.
HANNITY: And you did great. I heard -- I got a full report.
Here's what -- here's what I want to know, Jason. So, this is the game they're playing. They want to be able to hold this I guess in perpetuity.
The Senate now can't allow the House to dictate the terms, can they?
JASON CHAFFETZ, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: No, I mean, that's why the Constitution says that they have the sole power to control their destiny.
I think -- again, Sean, I go back to what Nancy Pelosi said because they did rush this through. They didn't allow Matt Gaetz to be able to inquire and investigate and have a minority day of hearings. They didn't let him and Jim Jordan do their job.
So, they produce a sub-par work product. Nancy Pelosi gets challenged as to why it was rushed through, and she said, rushed through, we've been working on this for 2-1/2 years.
I think that gives more insight to her motivation. It was always about impeaching the president and it had nothing to do with the fact pattern.
HANNITY: You know, and you are pointing this out every day, Matt Gaetz, and rightly fighting for the right for the fundamental fairness that Newt Gingrich offered Bill Clinton and his attorneys when he was speaker of the House.
GAETZ: They always accused us of the stuff they're doing.
It's crazy to think that Nancy Pelosi impeached the president for allegedly obstructing the House when she is now obstructing the work of the United States Senate.
House Democrats got addicted to impeachment. Now they can't shake the craving. And they're even talking about getting another fix before the election.
You saw Lloyd Doggett, one of my colleagues on the Democratic side, saying they may have additional articles of impeachment because while 2020 is a new year, it brought no new agenda for Democrats. They see that the Trump economy is roaring, the American people are doing better. And so, they're using additional impeachment tools to try to distract the American people.
They need that distraction. We don't, which is why I'm so glad, Sean, that you laid out a Trump doctrine in Iran that does not require some invasion, boots on the ground. It means we go kill the terrorists and let's bring our troops home.
HANNITY: A hundred percent. And we've got the military capability of doing it.
Thank you both. Happy New Year.
Coming up, we have disturbing allegations about zero experience Hunter Biden and sleepy, creepy, crazy Joe, you're not getting a billion dollars.
Remember that? Yes, they had to ignore the real evidence, the real bribery thing, my view -- straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Well, another day, another disaster story about Hunter Biden, zero experience Hunter. This time, the allegation involves identity theft.
Trace Gallagher has the details for us tonight -- Trace.
TRACE GALLAGHER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Sean, brand new court documents have been filed in the paternity lawsuit against Hunter Biden, alleging that in 2016, Biden committed identity theft when he was checking into an unknown rehab facility in Prescott, Arizona. The papers claim that when he got to Arizona, Biden abandoned his Hertz rental car, then using the name Joseph McGhee, called Hertz asking them to pick up the car.
But inside the vehicle, an employee found a glass pipe with cocaine residue, along with the Delaware attorney general badge of Hunter Biden's deceased brother Beau. The private eye says Beau Biden's ID and the name Joseph McGhee are proof Hunter Biden was committing identity theft. The judge tossed out the claim.
This is the same private eye who filed separate documents two weeks ago, claiming Hunter Biden laundered money, those were also denied.
Biden who's being sued for child support has refused to turn over financial documents, including for his time on the board of Burisma. We should note that Biden also was not charged for the cocaine pipe because there were no fingerprints on it -- Sean.
HANNITY: All right, Trace. Unbelievable. And thank you.
Zero experience Hunter. Fire the prosecutor investigating zero experience Hunter, and you get a billion dollars. Oh, I thought they were upset about that, only if it's Trump and Trump never did that.
Also, tonight, in a recent interview with The New York Magazine, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, the real speaker of the House, asked about a potential Biden presidency, here's a reply, quote: In any other country, Joe Biden and I would not be in the same party.
Here with reaction, former White House press secretary, Fox News contributor, Sarah Sanders.
There's not a lot of love it seems between the socialists radical left-wing, and the socialist radical left-wing that's not enough left-wing.
SARAH SANDERS, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I mean, AOC has gone completely unhinged and so far to the left. I think you spent -- said it best when you said the actual speaker of the House. It's becoming more and clear every single day that the AOC and the far-left socialist wing of the Democrat Party is who is actually running the party. It's certainly not Biden and Pelosi. They're answering to this group.
And I think that is terrible news for America, but good news for this president because I think the more that they take over the party, the more America is going to be desperate to make sure that not only Donald Trump gets reelected but that we take the House back and maintain and build a bigger majority in the Senate.
HANNITY: John Zogby, who picked up the first of what became a trend, it was not an outlier, of African-American support for the president -- 34- 1/2, 34, 33, 28, 22, the lowest was 16. The president got 8 percent of the black community vote in 2016.
Now, he is pointing out Trump is above the 50 percent mark in terms of positive ratings. He also pointed out the president is doing well with important swing voters, independents, Hispanics, women and believe it or not, millennials and generation-X.
Are we seeing something emerging that nobody is picking up on in the media mob?
SANDERS: Look, I think we've been watching this, Sean, people like you and I have been watching for the last three years. This is a president who actually delivers. And Americans are starting to feel it in their own homes.
They know that they do better under this president. They like that they are on the path of prosperity. They like that they have more money in their pocket. They like that the country is moving forward. They like that we have a country that's standing up for itself and a president that isn't going to be pushed around by the bad actors in Iran and other places.
This is a president who said no to China. And everybody else that spent the last eight years bullying (ph) this country, we now have the president that's standing up and saying we're going to do what's best for our country. And people feel it. They feel it everywhere, but especially in their own homes and in their pocketbooks.
And they want more of it. They want four more years of this president because he's delivered on everything he said he would plus some. And I don't know why anybody wouldn't support this president if they look at the simple facts of what he's done over just these first three years.
HANNITY: And his policies have impacted the -- if you look demographically, people that were disproportionately negatively impacted with 13 million extra Americans on food stamps, eight million more in poverty, lowest labor participation rates since the `70s, that's all changed. And we now have the best employment situation since '69, the ISIS caliphate is dead, Baghdadi is dead, and, yes, Soleimani is dead. Not a bad track record.
SANDERS: Not at all. And I think Americans across the board no matter what demographic you're in are seeing that this is a president who delivers results. There's no question, we're safer, we're more prosperous, and we're better off under President Trump. Not a doubt.
HANNITY: Well said. Sarah Sanders, happy New Year. Thank you for being with us.
I never I thought I'd ever say this. I'm shocked I'm saying it. I actually saw a Hollywood award show where they pat each other on the back, and I loved it. Ricky Gervais roasting Hollywood's elite at last night's award show.
Plus, the not-so-funny comedian George Lopez, he's in a lot of trouble. Why? He's joking about assassinating the president. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: I can't believe I'm doing this segment. Last night, Golden Globes' comedian Ricky Gervais exposed all the Hollywood hypocrisy, all of the hate, all the hysteria plaguing Tinseltown, and he did it right in front of their faces with ease. Wow, I love this.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICKY GERVAIS, COMEDIAN: But tonight isn't just about the people in front of the camera. In this room are some of the most important TV and film executives in the world, people from every background. But they have all one thing in common -- they are all terrified of Ronan Farrow.
Spoiler alert, season 2 is underway. So, in the end, he obviously didn't kill himself, just like Jeffrey Epstein.
(LAUGHTER)
Shut up. I know he's your friend but I don't care.
So you say you're woke, but the companies you work for -- I mean, unbelievable. Apple, Amazon, Disney. If ISIS started a streaming service, you'd call your agent.
If you do win an award tonight, don't use it as a platform to make a political speech, right? You're in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world.
If you win, right, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent and your god and (AUDIO DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Pretty perfect. Now, where is the hate, the rage, the willful ignorance, you know, more obvious? Nowhere is the disdain for we the people -- remember, they hate Donald Trump. They really hate we the people more because we voted for the person. They can't believe it because they are so much smarter than we are.
And Gervais, by the way, called it out better than anyone. And, by the way, even Joaquin Phoenix -- he had a pretty powerful message for his fellow stars calling out the climate change crusaders for their private jet use.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOAQUIN PHOENIX, ACTOR: It's great to vote. But sometimes, we have to take that responsibility on ourselves, and make changes and sacrifices in our own lives and hope that we can do that. We don't have to take private jets to Palm Springs for the awards sometimes or back, please? And I'll try to do better and I hope you will too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Just like when we caught Al Gore getting off of old Gulfstream, big one, seats 14, him and Tipper. That was it.
It doesn't look like Hollywood will be learning any of their lessons anytime soon because so-called comedian George Lopez, he is now being forced to clarify his remarks tonight after sick -- it really isn't a joke about killing the president of the United States and a bounty by Iran.
Very disgusting but not at all surprising. We've seen this before and, unfortunately, it gets worse.
Yes, there he is. Nike spokesperson, Hollywood darling Colin Kaepernick is defending the brutal mass-murdering Iranian regime, how a total ignorant, following the president's airstrike, taking out the guy that killed over 600 Americans Soleimani, sending out a pretty disturbing tweet, actually suggesting the attack was motivated by racism.
Colin, here's a reality check. Soleimani was a vicious war criminal. Read your history. He was the point man for the largest exporter of terrorism around the world.
I have a few questions for Nike. Are you proud of this? Are you proud to have this, yes, rhetoric be your new brand face?
Here with reaction, American Conservative Union chairman, Matt Schlapp, Salem nationally syndicated radio talk show host, Larry Elder.
Larry, your reaction?
LARRY ELDER, SALEM NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, Sean, like you, I watched the Golden Globes in real-time. I didn't want to. My girlfriend forced me to.
I was kind of half paying attention to it. But the monologue I thought was drop-dead funny. Eight minutes of the kind of stuff that we get every single night on late-night TV. Trump haters, Trump is denounced, Trump voters are denounced, Republicans are denounced, conservatives are denounced.
So, finally, for eight minutes, it was fun watching the people in Hollywood react to the jokes the way we react to the jokes late night.
Larry Wilmore, the comedian, said that comedians refused to do jokes about Barack Obama. They feared being called racists.
Chevy Chase admitted that "Saturday Night Live" used politics.
So, for a change, things were shifted and a lot of people were not happy. The Daily News referred to the monologue as obscene. I thought it's hysterical. The number one job of the comedian is to be funny, he was funny.
HANNITY: I totally agree. I had no plan to watch these stupid shows.
They're just all, oh, you're great, you're great. Pat each other.
Where are going to have these award things for talk show hosts? I don't know.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: Matt Schlapp, why do I believe that if any conservative said well there is an $80 million bounty, we'll do it for $40 million and they don't get a visit from the Secret Service?
MATT SCHLAPP, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION CHAIRMAN: Well, of course, Ted Nugent got a visit from the Secret Service when he made an off-hand remark about Barack Obama and we've seen what happens to conservatives when they speak of -- for their values. They usually lost other contracts and never allowed to come back to a show.
You know, it was -- it was a very refreshing moment at the Golden Globes last night, but you still had actresses like Mitchell Williams, who I really admire her work, amazing work, but basically saying she wouldn't be there that night to get the Golden Globe if she hadn't been able to celebrate her right to choose and have an abortion. So, you still see these moments.
But it's really searing and shocking for the American people to have to listen to this. And, look, they're voting with their feet, Sean. I think we're watching Twitter and watching the clips and say, I might -- I might go back and watch the Golden Globes again. But let's face it, these audiences are declining because they just don't agree with the values that are professed.
HANNITY: Larry, last 15.
ELDER: Well, to follow-up on Matt's point. It's not like Ricky Gervais has done a 180 on politics. He does not like Trump. He does not like religion.
So, he's not -- I'm not ready to put him up on Mount Rushmore. But it was refreshing.
HANNITY: But you know what? He also said it's a joke, we don't take jokes anymore.
SCHLAPP: That's right.
HANNITY: Thank you both. Happy New Year.
All right. Coming up, shocking pictures inside Jeffrey Epstein's prison cell. Trace Gallagher has the details in that report, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: All right. Tonight, new shocking photos obtained from Jeffrey Epstein's jail cell and even his autopsy raising even more questions about his mysterious death.
And Trace Gallagher has the latest.
Trace, what do you got?
GALLAGHER: Sean, they were concerned about Jeffrey Epstein committing suicide and yet they allowed him to have things in his cell like a ballpoint pen where he wrote about giant bugs crawling on him, and he was allowed a sleep apnea machine that has a long electrical cord.
And we're also getting the first pictures taken inside Epstein's cell the morning he died. They show piles of orange sheets and bed linens.
Remember, the working theory is that Epstein hung himself by using bedsheets. But in some autopsy pictures obtained by Fox News that we should warn are graphic, forensic pathologist, Dr. Michael Baden says the wounds on Epstein's neck do not match those that would come from a bedsheet noose.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. MICHAEL BADEN, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: There's no transfer of any blood on that ligature from the neck. There's no -- it doesn't match the ligature mark on the neck. It's too wide. It's too smooth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: But even though one of the cameras pointed at Epstein's cell reportedly was not working, officials say other cameras do not show anyone entering or leaving Epstein's cell the night he died -- Sean.
HANNITY: All right. Trace Gallagher, thank you. Oh, creepy.
Best election coverage, year in, year out this year. Set your DVR and never miss an episode.
Let not your heart be troubled.
Laura Ingraham, happy New Year.
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