Rep. Matt Gaetz on the debate over reopening schools in America amid the coronavirus pandemic

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Rep. Matt Gaetz on the debate over reopening schools in America amid the coronavirus pandemic

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee, joins Judge Jeanine Pirro with insight on 'Justice.'

This is a rush transcript from "Justice with Judge Jeanine," July 11, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

JEANINE PIRRO, HOST: Hello and welcome to "Justice." I'm Judge Jeanine Pirro. Thanks so much for being with us tonight.

Let's get right to it. My open.

Do you feel safe? Do you feel safe? I live in New York and something has happened that is as predictable as the sun rising tomorrow morning.

New York City, once the safest big city in America, one of the world's major commercial, financial and cultural centers will revert to the crime ridden days of the 1980s. Not just New York, soon major cities near you will return to their troubled days of lawlessness.

Whether you are right or left, believe me.

Understand this. Lawlessness without police equals crime and murder. The safest big city, New York is now regressing to the bygone days of graffiti, drugs, gangs, guns, murder and mayhem. And you can thank one man -- one man -- Warren Wilhelm, Jr, known today as Bill de Blasio.

This is the face of the return of crime. This is the face of the man who without a doubt is the most incompetent, inefficient and inept mayor to darken the halls of Gracie Mansion. His response to the May 25 murder of George Floyd like everyone else was outrage.

But his answer to the George Floyd murder was to let New York City burn. He cut the NYPD's budget by $1 billion. He supported a Police Reform Bill that tied the hands of police with no training under these new restrictions, and he ordered stand downs while crimes occurred across the city.

But then again, he's always had a problem with the police. I said it three years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: De Blasio's anti-cop sentiments are deep rooted, in 2014 when two cops were assaulted and seriously injured on the Brooklyn Bridge as protesters chanted, "What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want them? Now."

He called the protesters throwing garbage cans and bottles at police peaceful protesters. He normalized police hatred, telling us that he told his son to be cautious of police.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: Now, as New York City devolves into chaos, de Blasio turns a blind eye. Macy's flagship store in Herald Square was looted by criminals, not protesters, criminals breaking in with hammers and coming out with stolen goods.

Arsonist and looters on Fifth Avenue hit an empty Chanel, Gucci Balmain.

The universal question -- where were the police? Where are the arrests? Where are the perp walks? I'll tell you.

The police were given a stand down to not engage and a minimal number of cops were deployed. The upshot. As cops stand down, criminals become emboldened and as for you, taxes will clearly go up not just for the cleanup, but because businesses can no longer afford nor would they necessarily want to be in a city where they are not protected from crime.

In fact, one high end New York City store is suing for failing to stop the looting. The owner of that store says that after paying taxes, the city owed a duty to the stores to protect them.

He says that the city had Intelligence, but did nothing about it. He, like many New Yorkers believes his taxes go to the NYPD and that the police were told to stand down.

But the big stores were not the only stores. Looters stormed small businesses, many minority owned, many shuttered now for good because of the protesters.

Since George Floyd's death, more than 700 police officers have retired from the NYPD and the department is now limiting the number of how many can retire each week.

Why? The police have a target on their backs and they know it. They're being told to stand down and they're not being given any guidance on the new law passed by the City Council.

I actually told you about a hero two weeks ago, a Deputy Inspector and Precinct Commander, ironically from the 46th Precinct known as the Alamo, who retired because he was not given any guidance as to how his officers should respond in light of the new limitations on their ability to arrest.

The irony here is rich. The 46th Precinct that he left known as the Alamo was dubbed in the 1980s as the most dangerous square mile in America.

And the new rules restrict police actions regarding arrests and what part of the defendant's body they're allowed to touch. Picture this -- 35,000 New York City police officers each with a gun, not one -- not one has been trained on how to effectuate an arrest under the new guidelines where you can and cannot touch the perp.

Police will face certain prosecution if the arrest is not made properly. De Blasio also disbanded the Anti-Crime Undercover Unit which directs undercovers to areas where crime occurs pursuant to a Comstat, which is a colorblind pinpoint screen that identifies crime concentrations that help drive down the city's crime rate and literally revolutionize policing around the world.

Now, no more stop, question, frisk. No more police concentration in those crime ridden areas and the ones most afraid, the minority community in the inner cities who live with crime day and night.

You ask the black and Hispanic clergy, they are terrified of what is to come.

The cops that were protecting them are gone. They've been told to stand down. They can't engage. They can't touch suspects. And I've been told repeatedly now by NYPD cops that if a suspect resists, the cops will let them go because they haven't been trained on what to do in that circumstance.

The rookie school has been canceled. Morale is down. And for many, the exit from the NYPD cannot come soon enough.

But it gets even worse. Democrat de Blasio and his ilk are working together to defeat law enforcement totally.

Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, you remember him, the one who forced nursing homes to take corona infected patients, thus leading to the deaths of the highest number of seniors in the country. He signs a bill giving everyone involved immunity.

He's pushed for no cash bail, so-called bail reform, as a result of which most defendants are released as soon as the paperwork is done.

Add New York City Democrat District Attorney Cy Vance to this trifecta. Vance pushed for all crime to have no cash bail. And in an interoffice memo, he instructed his assistant DAs to go soft or dismiss cases against protesters, and instead told his prosecutors to be proactive and build cases against the cops who arrested the protesters.

These three Democrats create a recipe for a return of New York City to the crime ridden 80s when the headlines looked like this.

This one from this week. It doesn't look so different, does it?

Consider this. For 40 years, New York City education and social services budget was more than half of the total city budget. The NYPD previously at eight percent is now five percent. The correlation of defunding police and the increase in homicides is predictable.

In fact, already homicides have skyrocketed. There is a 206 percent increase in shooting victims last week, over the same week, last year.

And if you're not angry enough, take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO, D-NYC: This is a historic moment of change. We have to respect that, but also say to people, the kinds of gatherings we're used to, the parades, the fairs, we just can't have that while we're focusing on health right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: Okay, but de Blasio exempted Black Lives Matter marches. He says they can continue despite the ban he put on all large events because, quote, "This is a historic moment of change."

Say, what? Are you stupid?

The rest of us can't work. We can't enjoy sports. We can't be with our friends because of Coronavirus. But anyone marching for Black Lives Matter can protest in hordes? Is that because the virus won't affect them? I thought the black community was particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus?

And what about all you guilt bullies? The ones who told us that if we go out that we're going to infect Grandma. So, is it okay for protesters to get grandma sick, but the rest of us can't?

So Bill, you've decided to take away my safety, my protection, my security, my business and my liberty. I've got news for you. You don't have that right. You took an oath to support the Constitution and as a public official, the first order of government is the protection of its citizens. You don't have the right to tell the police to stand down and to violate the oath that they took.

You don't have the right to tell cops who want to go out to protect and defend us that they're not allowed to exercise their authority. And I don't care what your Marxist leftist socialist comrades tell you.

This is the United States of America, and in the United States of America, we outlaw crime, and we pay police to support law and order.

You, Mr. De Blasio, by not supporting law and order are a menace to law abiding, taxpaying residents of New York City. You are so out of sync with the rest of us and so far from the fundamental values upon which this country was founded, that the best thing that can happen to you is that you be impeached and crawl back into your Marxist leftist socialist hole.

And that's my open. Let me know what you think on my Facebook and Twitter, #JudgeJeanine.

And don't forget, if you like my opens, you're going to love my new book, "Don't Lie to Me." It's in stores in September, but you can preorder it now.

I the book, I say, we had enough lies from the left who are trying to destroy us. Take a listen to what it says. Preorder your copy today.

And joining me now to discuss my open and more, Fox News contributor, Dan Bongino.

Good evening, Dan. Did you ever think after you left the NYPD that we get to the point we are at now.

DAN BONGINO, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Judge, this is really, really sad to watch. I mean, listen, I live in Florida now. I've lived in Maryland, but I grew up and was raised in New York City and watching this happen, I have friends. My mother lives up there. My two brothers live up there. One of my best friends lives up there. He just retired. He was a second grade detective with the NYPD. He just left.

To watch America's formerly biggest, safest big city just collapse into shambles and chaos in just a few years is really gut wrenching. I mean, it's really hard to watch.

And that it happened because of tangible, touchable material decisions by this complete buffoon de Blasio and his brigade of buffoons around him in the City Council is disturbing, Judge.

I mean, I've said this now three times on the network, and I'll say it again on your show, and I want everyone to listen. If you were trying to destroy New York City, intentionally trying like Dark Knight Gotham Bane style or something, would you do anything different than de Blasio is doing now? And the answer is, hell no, you wouldn't. You would do exactly what de Blasio is doing.

It's almost as if this guy is a nihilist or something.

PIRRO: Well, let's talk about the fact that this week, he painted a mural on the street, Black Lives Matter in front of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and you know, this is how he spends his time, and there's nothing that the business people can do in that area.

I mean, he is destroying the businesses as well, in addition to crime.

BONGINO: Yes, I'm wondering if he painted, you know, when do we want dead cops? When do we want them? Now. Right next to it. He must have forgotten that little chant. That was in New York, I believe, where they chanted that that Black Lives Matter March.

Yes, listen, this is obviously --

PIRRO: It was the Brooklyn Bridge.

BONGINO: The Brooklyn Bridge. Yes, this is obviously a petty, pathetic move by a failed Mayor. But Judge, he's done real things. I know, I said that before.

I don't want this to just be you know, a rant by me. He's done real things that have cost people their lives, black, Hispanic, and white residents of New York City -- disbanding the Anti-Crime Unit.

Judge, you realize most of this self-observed crime by police officers where they see it. It is not by uniformed police officers. Why? Because you don't commit a crime in front of a uniformed cop. You commit in front of a guy in plain clothes because you don't know he is a cop. Then they stop it.

They were the ones taking these people off the streets. They disbanded that. Years ago, they dismantled street crime. Now they're engaged in -- they're doing this use of force guidelines, where it's like you have to give a guy a massage before you can arrest them now.

I mean, do you understand the use of force is determined by the bad guy? Yes, sorry.

PIRRO: Well, not only that, but my understanding is you'll never see a resisting arrest charge again in New York City, according to the cops that I've spoken with, because they're not going to fight with them to arrest them.

They're going to basically say you want to put your hands behind your back. If the guy says no, they're not going to chase him. They're not going to cuff them. The guy is going to get away.

I mean, it's almost like an invitation to tea. You mind putting your hands behind your back? It's ridiculous.

BONGINO: You're right.

PIRRO: Let's talk about the fact that de Blasio has got just one and a half years left. Go ahead.

BONGINO: Yes, you're right and if I may sarcastically correct you, just kind of joking. It's not that they're going to -- they're not going to fight with them because they don't want it. They're not going to fight with them because they can't.

The use of force guidelines they have out now are utterly absurd. Grab them by the wrist, you can only hold an arm. You're not allowed to use any kind of a body weight restraint. Do you have any idea how absurd that is?

I spent decades of my life in control tactics in the Secret Service and the NYPD? When someone doesn't want to be arrested, I watched -- I'm not kidding. I know we're short on time now.

I watched a 12-year-old girl in a Brooklyn Hospital nearly take out two ESU cops, SWAT cops in New York because she did not want to be taken. That's not a joke and it was not a reflection on the cops.

She did not want to be taken. She was a 12-year-old girl. They had to restrain her. Tell me how you're going to handle that with a 30-year-old? A 220-pound guy on drugs? What are you going to do? You're going to massage his neck and give him a head rub before you lock them up?

What planet does de Blasio live on? Why would a cop arrest anyone? Have a nice day sir, you don't want to get arrested. Hard pass. Take off. See you later.

PIRRO: Here's the problem. Dan, the problem is that in light of all these new guidelines, they've done absolutely no teaching. None of them know what they're supposed to do. They've had no training as to how they're supposed to effectuate an arrest under these new guidelines. That's why there's never going to be a resisting arrest charge again in New York City because they are just going to say, he doesn't want to be arrested. I've got to keep going. Yes.

BONGINO: Let me tell you something. Have you ever see the movie, "Black Hawk Down"? There's a scene where the guy says, listen, when the bullets start flying, you can throw all your politics and he curses out the window.

When the guy goes and wants to resist arrest, and he is beating the snot out of you trying to get your gun, believe me, you can throw all of that crap out the window. I get it. Police officers, we should be able to handle ourselves. We should be trained.

But let's make no mistake here. It's the bad guy that determines the use of force, not the cop. If a cop acts out and he does something he shouldn't do, there are CCRB complaints and some of them will be put in jail like the guy in the George Floyd case.

But the bad guy determines the use of force and when you're fighting for your life, you can throw all that fancy crap and training manuals. You can throw it right in the damn toilet bowl and flush it because you're going to survive and go home to your kids first and telling all the cop to do all of this crap is nonsense.

PIRRO: Quickly, Dan. He's got a year and a half left. What's going to happen?

BONGINO: What's going to happen is New York is going to continue to descend into chaos. A lot of people can die in a year and a half and make no mistake, this guy has blood on his hands, and I don't say that lightly on national television. He absolutely has blood on his hands. There is no doubt about it.

PIRRO: All right, Dan Bongino. Thanks so much for being with us.

Much more tonight, including an update on the St. Louis couple, the McCloskeys who defended their home from protesters.

And next, what does Congressman Matt Gaetz think about the debate raging in his home state over reopening schools? He is here live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PIRRO: And breaking tonight, Joe Biden wins the Democratic presidential primary in Louisiana. Those results just coming in.

Meantime, as the countdown continues to the start of the school year, the debate continues to rage across the country on how and if schools should reopen.

With me now, Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz whose home state is at the center of the reopening debate. Good evening, Congressman. Thanks for being with us tonight.

REP. MATT GAETZ, R-FLA.: Good evening.

PIRRO: So, in Florida, there is this debate going on and the President of course is calling for schools to reopen. Florida now is apparently in the midst of a rise in the coronavirus cases. How does this thing get resolved?

GAETZ: In Florida, we are going to reopen schools, but across our nation, there's never been a more important time for us to embrace parent empowerment.

And of course, parents should be empowered with in-person instruction option at public school with the sanitation and requisite social distancing and testing that is necessary to ensure that that, in fact, is a safe environment.

But we should also do more to make sure that parents can keep more of their own money to raise and educate their own kids how they choose.

Education should not be a government run monopoly, and we should end the war that's gone on between public instruction and homeschooling for far too long.

PIRRO: Well, but how do we do it, if someone is going to a public school, and they're talking about either not opening the schools or they're talking about what is it -- blended courses? What does that mean?

You go part time and then other kids go the rest of the time? How does -- how does this impact kids in their learning?

GAETZ: We've seen a real impact to learning and learning gains as a consequence of coronavirus. Digital learning is not an end all be all, and when you don't have in-person instruction for some students, there really is an impact.

So, we've seen innovations like block scheduling, for example used before, but in Florida, we're going to use sentinel testing and surveillance testing to make sure that we catch outbreaks sooner.

And then we're going to improve the physical plant of schools so that we have more hand washing stations and sanitation stations, because ultimately, we've got to protect not only the students, but we've got to protect the teachers and instructors as well.

But the answer isn't just to wave the white flag of surrender. Instead, we should innovate. We should ensure that we've got more access to charter schools and private schools and even homeschooling. That'll take some of the pressure off of public schools and allow us to achieve our learning objectives.

PIRRO: What about the teachers? There is a resistance obviously from the teachers union, which has historically lined itself with the Democrats. How is that going to impact this whole fight?

GAETZ: There may be some teachers that need the opportunity to retire early. Of course, we don't want people to make choices that they feel are unsafe.

But I think with the right amount of testing on the front end, with the right amount of, I think, sanitation and social distance where applicable, we can keep teachers safe and we can ensure that students are not vectors for the disease.

One thing we've learned during coronavirus is that young people who do not fear the disease are not going to comply with lockdowns and sheltering in place orders.

And so, if they're going to be out and about, let's make sure they're learning and getting something of value as a consequence.

PIRRO: You know, I believe it was Nancy Pelosi this week who said about the toppling of statues. She didn't take them that seriously. I don't know if we have any sound on that. But you're familiar with the statement she made, correct?

GAETZ: They're tearing down Lincoln, Winston Churchill and Frederick Douglass. So this isn't about slavery or fascism, or even race.

There is an attempted cultural genocide going on in America right now, and it calls for patriots to stand up and say, this is a great country. It is worthy of our pride and our defense.

The left wants us to be ashamed of America so that they can replace America. I love this country and I think that we ought to do a lot more to push back against the hate that we're seeing.

PIRRO: Well, what can we do to push back? I mean, you know, we just saw in what's posted there, that there are statues that are toppled, there are statues that are spray painted red.

I mean, it's like this thing happens in the middle of the night and there's no -- there's absolutely no discussion. These looters. These are anarchists come out, and I believe that's a church right there, they just come out and decide they're going to destroy something.

Where did they get the right? They don't have the right, obviously, but why don't we stop this?

GAETZ: I am proud that President Trump has substantially increased enforcement and prosecutions. There are more than a half a dozen Antifa members from up in Portland that are going to be facing a Federal judge and I think prison time as a consequence of organizing these things.

But the great irony, Judge Jeanine, is that the organizers of Black Lives Matter who pledge allegiance to the destruction of America have a lot more in common with the Confederate generals that they hate than they would like to admit because it was in fact, the Confederacy that initially wanted to kick out Federal officials who wanted to destroy America and change it to something different.

I think America was worth defending in the 1860s, and she is certainly worth defending today.

PIRRO: All right, Congressman Matt Gaetz, always good to have you on "Justice." Thanks so much.

GAETZ: Thank you.

PIRRO: And up next, the President accusing Joe Biden of plagiarizing his economic plans. Darrell Issa is here to react live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JACKIE IBANEZ, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good evening and live from "America's News Headquarters," I'm Jackie Ibanez in New York.

Two police officers shot and killed tonight in McAllen, Texas on the South Texas border. The officers reportedly were answering a domestic disturbance call. They were taken to a local hospital. The suspect died from a self- inflicted gunshot. State Troopers were dispatched to help local police secure the crime scene.

McAllen's Police Chief said the city has lost two brave public servants who only wanted to keep peace in the city.

Former Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller defending his investigation of Russia and the 2016 presidential campaign. Mueller saying his probe was of paramount importance.

The former Special Prosecutor also saying that Trump ally Roger Stone, quote, "remains a convicted felon and rightly so," end quote.

Mueller wrote his comments and an opinion piece for The Washington Post.

I'm Jackie Ibanez. Now back to "Justice with Judge Jeanine."

For all of your headlines, log on to foxnews.com.

PIRRO: This week, Joe Biden unveiled his economic plan. To many, his ideas sounded familiar. The President accused the former VP of plagiarizing his policies. Joe calls it Buy American, similar sounding to the President's America First plan.

Joining me now, former Congressman Darrell Issa who is running for Congress again in Florida. It's not the first time, Congressman that the VP has been accused of stealing someone else's words. Take a listen to this 1988 clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Democratic presidential candidate Joseph Biden today faces a controversy. Three weeks ago at a debate at the Iowa State Fair, he used phrases identical to those delivered by British Labour Party leader and Neil Kinnock.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Biden seemed to be claiming Kinnock's vision and life as his own.

JOE BIDEN, D-PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Why is it that wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college?

NEIL KINNOCK, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: My wife is the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to university.

BIDEN: My ancestors who worked in the coal mines in Northeast Pennsylvania and would come up after 12 hours and play football.

KINNOCK: Eight hours underground, and then come up and play football.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: And there's also this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you point out, what's behind the words? What's there? And a lot of people that that wrap on Biden has always been at just the surface?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: All right, Congressman, isn't just the surface that Joe Biden has to offer -- and that was 32 years ago.

DARRELL ISSA, FORMER REPRESENTATIVE: Well, it's consistent and it's consecutive. Every time he runs for President, we find him not giving attribution when he plagiarizes people including Robert Kennedy and John F. Kennedy.

The list is endless. The amazing thing is the only original thought he seems to have had is when he claimed that he went through college on a full ride scholarship and carried a double major and all these other things he didn't do. So, probably sticking to plagiarizing is safer for him.

PIRRO: Well, you know, and I heard that as well. I mean, and he says it in such earnest, I got a full scholarship. I was the only one who got a full scholarship and I graduated with 188 or 168 credits, and they didn't. I mean, it's like he is so passionate about his lies.

But what does it tell you about the economic plan, too? Is this an admission that number one, you know, he knows that the economy is President Trump's strong point? Or is it number two, that these are just words and as he approaches, hopefully the presidency, he is nothing more than really a socialist whose words don't mass match his actions?

ISSA: I think you've hit the exact right term. These are just words, Judge.

The fact is to Joe Biden, it's all about turning the phrase, not in fact, turning real management.

You look at his history, with the exception of helping Hunter Biden make a lot of money when he was overseeing Ukraine and China, the fact is, this is somebody who has never been an executive, who has never led or made anything who, you know, still has his 1960s Corvette, but he bought it with government revenue.

This is somebody who's become quite rich, but in fact has never done what President Trump has done, which is build an industry, understand industry, understand the economy.

You know, President Trump doesn't need a fancy plan that he got from somebody else to say the basics of lowering the impediments to growth have created the Trump economy that brought us to great prosperity, and that as we get through this pandemic, will bring us back to great prosperity.

That's what the President is selling because that's what he knows how to do.

PIRRO: Right. Then, you know, it is interesting, Joe Biden, I mean, his whole history is about an economy that just can't survive manufacturing jobs leaving. But I want to switch for a moment to Roger Stone. What is your impression of the President's commutation of his sentence?

ISSA: Well, I think it was courageous, and it's classic Donald Trump.

President Trump looks at an injustice. He looks at many people who were caught up, snared by Mueller in a false investigation that there but for the political witch hunt, the President would not have been there.

And he looks and says at 67 years old, when people are being released from prison in massive accounts, this first time offender, who, in fact is only going to jail because he was involved with the President. They couldn't get the President. And so he commutes it.

But he doesn't do it the way President Clinton did it on the last day in office, you know, so that it has no political effect. He does it in front of everyone and says it wasn't right. And that's why I'm commuting the sentence.

He did the same thing to a great extent with Michael Flynn and others. But he also did it with a great many people, African-Americans and others with his Criminal Justice Reform.

This is a President who has used commutation pardon and legislation to bring fairness to the system as he sees it, and he is open and straightforward and honest about it. He doesn't do it you know, after an election in the dark of night. He does it straight forward because that's the kind of person he is.

PIRRO: He is transparent. That he is. Darrell Issa, always good to have you on JUSTICE. Thank you so much.

ISSA: Thank you, Judge.

PIRRO: All right. And coming up, Dave Rubin weighs in on the controversial cancel culture letter. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PIRRO: This week, 150 writers and academics signed an open letter published in "Harper's" criticizing the current cancel culture. The letter was equally praised and mocked.

Joining me now to react author of, "Don't Burn This Book," our friend, Dave Rubin.

All right Dave, good to have you on. You know, Dave, this letter to me is fascinating, because you have all of these liberals who are saying, you know, we refuse any false choice between justice and freedom. We cannot have an intolerant society and they go on and on in this letter about you know, that people have to accept opposing views.

I just find that hysterical because as someone on the right, we've had our views censored for several years now. What's your take on this?

DAVE RUBIN, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND AUTHOR: Yes, well, you're setting it up the right way, because look, any defense -- I know you're going to agree with me on this -- and defense of free speech is good, especially right now.

However, most of the people on there who are lefties, liberals, progressives, whatever you want to call them. They've been pretty much silent as the mob has come for anyone that's right leaning.

I mean, we know right now what during this show that there are people at Media Matters who are waiting for you, Judge Jeanine or me to say one word wrong so that they can send a mob and try to cancel advertisers.

They do this with Tucker. They do this with everyone on the right. And it's like, where were you guys?

So what's happening now is that although it's late, it's like they're suddenly seeing their universities crumble because Princeton and Harvard and Yale, they're all having massive problems. We all see it. And we know that all the statues are coming down as you were talking about earlier, and they're suddenly going, oh, the mob is starting to show up to my university and take down my statues and they may show up at my house. So, I better speak up.

But I have to tell them, it's a little too late. And I'll just say one other thing which is, a couple of the people on the list have tried to cancel me. So, this thing was personal for me, too.

PIRRO: Well, I've got to tell you, I read your book, "Don't Burn This Book," I have to tell you, I love it. It is great reading. It is.

RUBIN: Oh, thanks. I appreciate it.

PIRRO: But what doesn't make sense to me, Dave is the fact that -- sorry about that. What doesn't make sense to me is the fact that they wouldn't at least attempt to join forces with those of us on the left, because if they true -- on the right, I should say, because if they truly believe that there is no choice between justice and freedom, why not align yourself with people on the right, with conservatives. We're stronger united, aren't we?

RUBIN: Yes. Absolutely. And that's what actually my whole book and my political evolution is about, because I was on the left and then as I saw the left failing consistently on free speech, failing to stand up for the liberal principles that it purported to believe in.

What I suddenly found was, whoa, look at this. There's all of these people on the right, these conservatives and libertarians who I may have some political disagreements with. That's fine. You read my book, you know, we disagree on some stuff, but that's okay. But what do we believe in?

We believe in the Constitution. We believe in free speech. We believe in free expression. We believe in capitalism. We believe that fundamentally America is a good experiment and that's all it is. It's an ongoing experiment.

And yes, I think they're really afraid of being called conservative. That in liberal circles that is still the scariest thing. Oh, you're suddenly friends with conservatives. You must be a conservative.

And they've got to get over that because the ivory tower is crumbling, and it's going to crumble right on top of their heads.

PIRRO: Well, the amazing part of it is that the feelings are usually -- I mean, from what I know, and I'm kind of in the middle of things here. It's from the left or the right. They don't want to hear people on the right. I never heard people on the right say, I don't want to hear from that person. I don't think that they should be allowed to speak at my child's university.

I mean -- and we know from the time that Donald Trump was elected, that you become -- you know, people unfriend you. They don't want you to be -- they don't want to communicate with you. People I've had at my wedding don't talk to -- my children's weddings, actually, they don't talk to me anymore.

And it's not usually the right or the left. I mean, the intolerance is on the left. Am I wrong?

RUBIN: The woke. The woke condition is a mind virus. What is a virus? A virus is very easy to catch, and very hard to get rid of. And that's what this thing is. It all kind of sounds right. Everyone I disagree with is a racist. Well, that sounds pretty good. That's pretty lofty.

Once you accept those ideas, you know that if you then walk away from it, you will be called a racist. So it's almost a self-hostage situation.

But you know, you also hit on something which is that in the letter, the implication was, oh, well, we're not on the right. The right still has these problems. I don't think there was one Trump supporter on there.

It's like if you really want to be for a plurality of opinions, couldn't you have found one Trump supporter or one really staunch conservative that you would have believed to have signed on to that thing? So it's a disease of the left right now, it just is.

PIRRO: Dave, I'm going to lose you. Thanks for being with us, Dave. Thanks so much.

And up next, an update you won't believe on the couple who defended their home from protesters.

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PIRRO: We all remember this scene. The McCloskeys of Missouri defending their home from protesters. Now authorities have seized the rifle Mark McCloskey that can be seen holding there. As of now, there's no indication they've been arrested or charged with any crime.

Joining me now is Clay County, Florida Sheriff, Darryl Daniels. Sheriff, thanks so much for being with us. It appears that when you had some protests in your county, you actually talked about it. The peaceful protests went awry, that you actually would deputize law abiding citizens to assist you in handling things. How would that -- how would that happen?

SHERIFF DARRYL DANIELS, CLAY COUNTY, FLORIDA: Well, you know, everybody has a right in this country to peaceful protest as covered under the First Amendment. However, stepping out from under the umbrella of the Constitution makes you a law violator.

And essentially, you become either inciting a riot or riotous or tumultuous activity, whatever the case may be, you know, criminal misconduct is unacceptable in all states, and law enforcement is still law enforcement in all states.

And you know, as far as I'm concerned, in Clay County, the people who have the most skin in the game or vested and invested in the success of the county are the people who live in the county and what we've been experiencing across this country are individuals who don't live in a certain area. They're going to these areas to manifest their frustrations or be a part of a peaceful protest or they get involved in an instigating sort of way to you know, turn those peaceful protests into a riot situations.

And you know, that's unfortunate.

PIRRO: All right, and Sheriff, I'm going to interrupt you right there because we don't have a lot of time. But we've been looking at the McCloskeys in St. Louis. They're on their property. He has an AR-15. She has a handgun.

There was a search warrant that was executed today where there was a seizure of the AR-15 that you can see on the screen, and apparently the handgun is in possession of the attorney. What do you think prosecutors could be looking at? Their on their property. What do you think is going on there?

DANIELS: I think maybe from the eyes of the prosecution, they're looking at the fact that was there -- were these two homeowners in any imminent danger? Was there a peril to their life? Was there a situation where they were going to protect their lives?

You know, so if they pointed their weapons at people who were passing by albeit peaceful protesters or even if they were violent protesters, if there was no tangible threat that they could articulate, then they may have some problems in St. Louis.

PIRRO: Well, it'll be interesting to see because first they said no -- maybe charges, then no charges and now they've seized it.

Anyway, Sheriff Daniels, thanks so much for being with us. We hope to have you back soon.

And we'll be right back.

DANIELS: Thank you for having me.

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PIRRO: Finally tonight, a reminder, don't forget to preorder my new book, "Don't Lie To Me." It's in stores in September, but you can reserve your copy now. And if you need my other books or a towel or a shirt that says, "Are you stupid?" Go to judgejeanine.store.

Thanks for watching. I'm Jeanine Pirro advocating for truth, justice and the American way. And justice has been served.

"The Greg Gutfeld Show" is coming up and I'll see you next Saturday night.

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