Sen. Graham: Allegations against Kavanaugh are collapsing

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Sen. Graham: Allegations against Kavanaugh are collapsing

Republican lawmaker from South Carolina says he looks forward to supporting Kavanaugh. On 'Hannity,' Graham calls the allegations the 'worst low point' in the Senate.

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

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Welcome to "Hannity."

We are witnessing in this country right now, right before your eyes, a total miscarriage of justice at the highest court in the land. There is no due process, no presumption of innocence, no burden of proof. And as we speak, you have the Democratic Party, the left in America, the median in America, all their friends are literally saying, guilt by accusation and trying to the character career reputation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh based on what is decades old uncorroborated allegations.

Now, ambiguous claims we have here. Kavanaugh himself is categorically refuting it under oath. And the so-called witnesses categorically deny.

Now, of course, it's a coordinated effort to take down Judge Kavanaugh, we're going to show you tonight that this is nothing new from the Democratic Party. There is good reason to be skeptical, as serious as these allegations are and we have said from the beginning to take them seriously. We're going to have tonight a Hannity history lesson how Democrats, the left in this country use identity politics every two years, every four years to gain electoral advantage, all while destroying the reputation of their opponents in the process.

The tactics of the left should disgust every rational thinking American who loves and cares about this country and our core values. This isn't about Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative tonight.

We'll also discuss the controversy surrounding the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. The president should under no circumstance fire this beleaguered bureaucrat. We're going to explain that and so much more.

This is a very important breaking news, opening monologue.

(MUSIC)

HANNITY: Tonight, Judge Brett Kavanaugh is fighting back and standing up for his good name and his reputation, and he is demanding a fair process. He says he won't be intimidated.

After days of negotiations with the Senate Judiciary Committee, Professor Christine Ford has now agreed to testify about the allegations she made against Judge Kavanaugh. Let me be perfectly clear. These are serious allegations. I've said it many times. Professor Ford deserves to be heard, and those allegations and accusations should be taken seriously.

And this coming Thursday, you the American people will be able to hear from both Professor Ford and Judge Kavanaugh in an open setting. Now, Chairman Grassley of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he was right to hold this hearing, and the Republicans have been and are being extremely fair and accommodating and they are taking these allegations seriously.

But tonight, we need to a step back and we need to remember what we're talking about here. These are 35-year-old sexual misconduct allegations made by Professor Ford to congressional Democrats. Now, the claims date back to when Ford and Kavanaugh were in high school.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, she was aware of Professor Ford's allegations since July. She sat on them. She kept them a secret, until after Kavanaugh's public hearing and after lengthy meetings with Judge Kavanaugh. In fact, Dianne Feinstein refused to give Senate Republicans, her colleagues, the full unredacted letter where accusations were first made back in July until today.

Now, Professor Ford cannot remember the date or location of the alleged incident. The four witnesses that Ford herself listed to corroborate her claims, they are all now on record denying what Ford is alleging. And just a short ago, Judge Kavanaugh sat down with our own Martha MacCallum and categorically refuted these claims once again.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE BRETT KAVANAUGH, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE NOMINEE: I may have met her, we did not travel in the same social circles. She was not a friend, not someone I knew.

MARTHA MACCALLUM, HOST, "THE STORY": You don't remember even being at parties with her ever?

KAVANAUGH: I do not. And this is an allegation about a party in the summer of 1982 at a house near Connecticut Avenue on East West Highway with five people present. I was never at any such party. The other people who are alleged to be present said they do not remember any such party.

A woman who was present, of another woman who was present who is Dr. Ford's lifelong friend has said she doesn't know me, and never remembers being at a party with me at any time in her life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. Tonight, Kavanaugh is now facing one more allegation because over the weekend, The New Yorker, well, they brought up another decades-old claim against and Kavanaugh, in this case a woman named Deborah Ramirez. She is claiming that in the 1980s, again, when he was a freshman in college, that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a drunken college party at Yale University.

Ramirez herself wasn't totally sure if Kavanaugh was a perpetrator. According to the New Yorker, she became, quote, quickly inebriated at the party, her words. She told "The New Yorker" that she was, quote, foggy and slurring her words. And she even acknowledges she has significant memory gap from that evening.

Now, The New York Times, well, they spent over a week trying to corroborate her story, talking to dozens of people. And The Times said this, quote, "They have interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate her story. They could find no one with firsthand knowledge. Ms. Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmates asking if they recall the incident and told some of them that she could not be certain that Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself.

And those who Ramirez listed as witnesses in yet another case here, well, to the indecent charges, well, they are all flatly denying. And this is what they said: We can say with confidence that if the incident Debbie alleges ever occurred, we would have seen or heard about it. We did not. The behavior that she describes would be completely out of character for Brett. In addition, some of us knew Debbie long after Yale. She never describes this incident until Brett's Supreme Court nomination was pending.

"The New Yorker" also interviewed Ramirez's best friend at the time of the alleged incident and she's also denying any knowledge of her claims. And she said, quote: This was a woman knows best friend with. We shared intimate details of our lives. I was never told the story by her or by anyone else. It never came up. I didn't see it. I never heard of it happening.

Now, Judge Kavanaugh also denied emphatically these decades-old charges. In a statement, he wrote, quote: well, these are smears, pure and simple, and they debase our public discourse. But they are also a threat to any man or woman who wishes to serve our country. Such grotesque and obvious character assassinations, if allowed to succeed, will dissuade competent and good people of all political persuasions from service.

As I told the committee during the hearing, a federal judge must be independent, not swayed by public or political pressure. That is a kind of judge I will always be. I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process. The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive them out. The last-minute character assassination will not succeed.

And tonight, Kavanaugh once again denied these charges in his interview with Martha. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAVANAUGH: I never did any such thing. I never did any such thing. The other people alleged to be there don't recall any such thing. If such a thing had happened, it would have been the talk of campus. The women I knew in college, and the men I knew in college says it's inconceivable that I could have done such a thing, and "The New York Times" has reported that just last week, the person making the accusation was calling other classmates, saying she was not sure that I had done this. Again, again, just asking for a fair process where I can be heard and I can defend my integrity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And during this interview, he took it even a step further. Let's watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAVANAUGH: People generally in high school, I think all of us have probably done things. We looked back on things and regretted or cringed a bit. But I -- that's not what we are talking about. We are talking about an allegation of sexual assault. I never sexually assaulted anyone. I didn't anything close to sexual intercourse in high school or for many years thereafter. The girls from the schools I went to and I were friends.

MACCALLUM: So, you're saying that all -- through all these years that are in question, you are a virgin?

KAVANAUGH: That's correct.

MACCALLUM: You never had sexual intercourse with anyone in high school?

KAVANAUGH: Correct.

MACCALLUM: And through what years in college since we're probing into your personal life here?

KAVANAUGH: Many years after. I will leave it at that. Many years after.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Then, Brett Kavanaugh went on to defend his character as a young student at Yale. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: Was there ever a time that you drink so much that you couldn't remember what happened the night before?

KAVANAUGH: No. That never happened.

MACCALLUM: You never said to anyone, I don't remember anything about last night?

KAVANAUGH: No, that did not happen.

MACCALLUM: Did you ever have any sense that any kind of description of the behavior that I just described with these, you know, women being taken into rooms and raped or having sex with a number of women, consensual or otherwise, that that was going on at the parties that you were at?

KAVANAUGH: I never saw any such thing -- any such thing. I certainly never participated in any such thing but I never saw or heard of any such thing. And we were -- I was focused on trying to be number one in my class and being captain of the varsity basketball team, and doing my service projects, going to church.

The vast majority of the time I spent in high school was studying, or focused on sports and being a good friend to the boys and the girls that I was friends with. We have these great lifelong friendships.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, despite all these charges, judge Kavanaugh says he will not be quiet and he's vowing not to be intimidated into withdrawing his nomination.

And while Judge Kavanaugh is standing firm, rightly demanding a fair process, it is so important to remember the toll that it also takes on a family. Again, where is the presumption of innocence? Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEY KAVANAUGH, WIFE OF JUDGE KAVANAUGH: It's very difficult. It's very difficult to have these conversations with our children, which we've had to have on broader terms or our youngest, but they know Brett and they know the truth. And we told them at the very beginning of this process, this will be not fun sometimes. You're going to hear things that people feel strongly and you need to know that. And just remember, you know your dad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, while President Trump, he is standing by his nominee tonight, and he predicted earlier tonight that, in fact, he will be confirmed. Let's take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It will be sad indeed if something happens to reroute that. This is a fine man and we certainly hope he's going to be confirmed and quickly. His family has suffered. His family has suffered. What is going on is not something that should happen.

Brett Kavanaugh is an absolute outstanding person. Hopefully, he will be confirmed quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, this all comes as one false smear about Judge Kavanaugh has officially been debunked. Mainstream media, Democrats were gleefully spreading a rumor that female students were coached by a law professor on how to dress in an outgoing way when they were interviewing with Judge Kavanaugh, a rumor that the professor is completely denying.

Now, despite everything we'd just showed you, and before any public testimony, there are people in this country -- this should not be political. Democrats, people on the left, they have already convicted Judge Kavanaugh. And according to them, he has no presumption of innocence, no right to be heard, no reason to be believed, no due process.

You know, actually, there were lawmakers, lawmakers that were throwing law out the window and claiming his guilt by accusation. This should not happen in this country. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF, D-CALIF.: The Senate shouldn't simply rely on hearing two conflicting accounts and decide -- well, we are okay with not knowing. We're okay with the fact that we might be putting someone who committed attempted rape on the Supreme Court of the United States.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, D-CALIF.: I believe her. Listen, first of all, anybody who comes forward at this point to be prepared to testify in the United States Senate against someone who is being nominated to one of the most powerful positions in the United States government, that takes an extraordinary amount of courage.

SEN. MAIZE HIRONO, D-HAWAII: Not only do women like Dr. Ford who bravely comes forward, need to be heard but they need to be believed. They need to be believed.

I just want to say to the men of this country: just shut up and step up. Do the right thing.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, D-CONN.: Let me just right at the outset, I believe Dr. Ford. I believe the survivor here. There's every reason to believe her. She has come forward courageously and bravely.

SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, D-N.Y.: I believe her. I stand with her. And --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you hope she shows up on Monday? Do you hope that she testifies?

GILLIBRAND: I don't think she should be bullied into this scenario, where it's a he said/she said. It's a sham hearing. And I don't think she should participate in it.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, D-N.Y., MINORITY LEADER: I believe Professor Ford. I think she's credible. And I think when the investigation is finished and when she testifies and Judge Kavanaugh testifies, I think a majority of senators will find her credible and I don't think -- I never thought Kavanaugh should get appointed.

(EN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: No presumption of innocence.

Now, at the very same time, all the people you are watching here, we have a case not 36 or seven or five years ago, where Keith Ellison, the number two person, the number two guy at the DNC, has been accused of repeated physical and emotional abuse and the DNC has smeared and slandered and ignored the person making that allegation. That's back in August this year.

So, what you are watching is a Democratic Party playing politics, sadly exploiting a sexual conduct allegation accusation, that's it, for political gain, jumping to conclusions, rushing to judgment. Now, these are serious allegations and as I've said, we should hear from the accuser.

But tonight, every American, Republican, Democrat, conservative and liberal. This is why you need a healthy dose of skepticism. Let me tell you why.

The attorney representing Professor Ford, her name is Debra Katz, well, has views on sexual assault that have been extraordinary political and inconsistent at best. For example, she said this about Paula Jones. Nobody in the media reports it.

Now, Paula Jones' suit is very, very weak and she alleged one incident that took place at a hotel room, that by her own testimony lasted 10 to 12 minutes. She suffered no repercussions in the workplace.

She then said of Jones' accusations, quote, clearly a one-time incident that took place in 10 to 12 minutes, and she was not forced to have sex. She left of her own volition, the courts increasingly are finding that is not enough to create a hostile work environment claim.

And she also defended creepy Senator Al Franken. Quote: Context is relevant. He did not do this as a member the U.S. Senate. Yes he did. And, by the way, he did this in the capacity of someone who is still functioning as an entertainer.

Clearly, Professor Ford's attorney has a left-wing, radical, inconsistent political agenda. And "The Daily Caller" even uncovered back in 2017. The same said she vowed to resist President Trump. We've got the tape. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Finally over the finish line, the new attorney general this morning grateful to the colleagues who fought for him.

JEFFREY SESSIONS, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I can't express how appreciative I am for those of you who stood by me during these difficult times.

REPORTER: It was a bitter feud to the very end.

DEBRA KATZ, FORD LAWYER: We're going to fight back. We are going to resist. We will not be silenced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: We're going to fight back. We're going to resist.

And now, we are also learning that Professor Ford is adding one more person to his legal team, an attorney named Michael Bromwich. He's the lawyer currently representing fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

Now, this brings us to our Hannity history lesson surrounding the Democratic playbook. Now, every two to four years in politics, every election cycle, Democrats used the politics of personal destruction to literally maim the character of their political opponents, even if it means lying in the process. They demonize all conservatives. There's not a conservative that I know that has not been through this.

In fact every four years, every two years, Republicans are racist, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic. Oh, they want dirty air and water, and they want to kill your children and throw granny over a cliff.

Now, the left has also rushed to judgment in the wake of other major events. They have been wrong.

On this program, we've been right. We didn't rush to judgment in the Duke lacrosse case. Remember when the media falsely accused Richard Jewell the Summer Olympics bombing? Remember because he said he fit profile of a lone bomber because he lived with his mother. Richard Jewell's listening to my radio show.

I was a local host in Atlanta at the time. He once thanked me for being the only one not to rush to judgment.

Remember the rush to judgment in Ferguson, in Missouri? Do you remember the rush to judgment in Baltimore, with Freddie Gray? Remember when Obama said the Cambridge police acted stupidly?

You know, we have on this program adopted the "we will not rush to judgment. We will wait and we will see." On the case of the Duke lacrosse kids, I went to meet with their parents.

In the case of Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, I met with George Zimmerman's attorney and George Zimmerman, asked him tough questions.

And you see it now, every time there's a Supreme Court nominee, well, and it's happens to be a president that's Republican that appoints him, we saw it all the time. Judge Bork, we saw it with Clarence Thomas.

Politically, remember 2012? Mitt Romney was sexist. He had binders full of women's resumes. And remember they turn his efforts to hire women into an attack about him being a sexist. Mitt Romney was not. Democrats smeared Romney -- remember they had falsely accused him -- remember Harry Reid, of being a tax cheat? And then after they won the election, they had no regrets about spreading those lies, these false attacks.

This happens. This is why Americans have a duty to be skeptical because the media, the left wing have been wrong. It's in their playbook. We see it every two years, every four years, every Supreme Court nominee and every big high-profile case that they politicize.

Here's a look at Harry Reid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORMER SENATOR HARRY REID, D-NEV.: Let him prove that he has paid taxes, because he hasn't.

I don't regret that at all. The Koch brothers, no one would help me, they were afraid the Koch brothers would go after me. So I did it on my own.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, no regrets about Mitt Romney, about the Koch brothers. Some people even called it McCarthyite.

REID: You know, they can call it whatever they want. He didn't win, did he?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: I regret telling a total lie and smearing somebody. From Mitt Romney to Robert Bork to Clarence Thomas to George Bush. Frankly, every a conservative I know, I was been forced to deal with their life and some of these baseless character smears, character assassinations.

Now, the most often used character assassination in the Democratic playbook is to call Republicans racist. It happens every Republican season. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Many Republicans talk in coded racial language about takers and losers. They demonize President Obama and encourage the ugliest impulses of the paranoid fringe.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT: If you accept the support of clan sympathizers before you are president, you will accept their support after you are a president.

JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: He's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. Unchained Wall Street. They're going to put y'all back in chains.

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: It's wrong what the leader of the Republican Party and this Congress are doing and blocking an accurate census because they don't want to count everyone that they don't think they can count on.

They are in favor of affirmative action, if you can dunk the basketball or a sink a three-point shot. But they are not in favor of it if you merely have the potential to be a leader in your community and bring people together. Don't tell me we've got a color blind society.

UNIDENTTIFIED FEMALE: On June 7, 1998, in Texas, my father was killed. He was beaten and chained and dragged three miles to his death all because he was black. So, when Governor George W. Bush refused to support hate crime legislation, it was like high father was killed all over again.

MISSOURI DEMOCRATIC PARTY RADIO AD: When you don't vote, you let another church explode. When you don't vote, you allow another cross to burn.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Real smears, real character assassination, and it happens predictably every election season and it happens with Supreme Court nominees.

This is a gutter politics at its worst and sadly, we are going to see more and more of these tactics as we now march, what, 43 days or so towards the midterms. We're going to have a lot more on this in a moment.

But first, breaking today, it also appears that the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is hanging onto his job, at least for now. After "The New York Times" issued a report accusing Rod Rosenstein, and they are sticking by it, of plotting to secretly record President Trump and planning to rally cabinet officials and invoked the 25th Amendment, rumors spread that Rosenstein might be out of a job. That was going on all morning this morning.

Tonight, Rod Rosenstein has been in communication with a president and apparently they will be meeting on Thursday. We'll have a lot more on that in a minute.

Joining us now, first, with this developing situation and much more is South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham.

Senator, I can give you chapter and verse --

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C.: That was hard to sit through.

HANNITY: What's that?

GRAHAM: That was hard to listen to. That was really tough.

HANNITY: While the problem is these people are being called racists, sexists, and misogynists.

GRAHAM: That's true. Absolutely.

Remember John McCain? John Lewis said that John McCain's campaign reminded him of George Wallace's campaign.

HANNITY: Yes, that's another one.

And this is the problem. These are real lives that get destroyed here.

GRAHAM: Absolutely.

HANNITY: What Kennedy said about Robert Bork was despicable and disgusting. What was done to Clarence Thomas was another last-minute smear.

GRAHAM: They tried it with Alito.

HANNITY: Yes. What do you make of this now that we have had time? There's not a single person in the case of Professor Ford that she mentioned that was there --

GRAHAM: Yes.

HANNTY: -- that has corroborated the story and the same thing with Ms. Ramirez.

GRAHAM: Well, number one, to the Democrats, they knew about this since July 30th. They chose to do nothing about it. For them to complain about the process is like an arsonist complaining about a fire.

The allegations against Judge Kavanaugh are collapsing. This has been the worst low point in the Senate for me and that's saying a lot. I never thought it would get this bad.

We're going to have a hearing Thursday and have a vote soon thereafter. And I look forward to supporting this good man.

The takeaway from me, Sean, is that when it comes to Donald Trump, there are no boundaries, there are no rules. Whatever you need to do to destroy him or his agenda is OK, and that's very sad.

HANNITY: You know, Senator, we do have a serious allegation, and I've said, let everybody be heard, and I know you have said the same month.

GRAHAM: Yes, and we are.

HANNITY: A month ago, the girlfriend of Keith Ellison, number two at the DNC --

GRAHAM: Yes.

HANNITY: -- is running for attorney general in Minnesota. Repeated physical and emotional abuse.

GRAHAM: Yes.

HANNITY: The reason I say this is selected moral outrage, why do the people we're talking about right now haven't uttered a word?

GRAHAM: Right.

HANNITY: So, it's only guilt by accusation if you are a conservative or Republican or appointed by Republican.

GRAHAM: Well, Democrats are willing to believe anything about a Trump nominee. They didn't believe anything about President Clinton who had a long history of this.

Here's what I can tell you. This man, Judge Kavanaugh, has been in very responsible jobs for well over 20 years. Not woman has ever come forward to say he acted inappropriately in the workplace, that he used his power in an untoward way.

These allegations are not about sex. They're about power. You don't become a serial rapist for a couple of years and hang it up. That's the garbage of all garbage coming from the Avenatti camp.

So, here's what I think will happen -- nobody in their right mind is going to deny him a seat on the Supreme Court based on allegations 35 years old, when everybody at the high school party says they don't know what the lady is talking about, Dr. Ford. And the second allegation is not even worthy of talking about.

So, I hope every Republican will be fair to Judge Kavanaugh, listen to what Dr. Ford says and render a good decision here. If he is denied a seat on the Supreme Court based on 35-year-old allegations and uncorroborated, who in the world will come forward in the future to be the judge? There's a lot at stake here.

HANNITY: Senator, I can't get 220 people to stand up for me to be honest. Here's 220 people --

GRAHAM: I know you're got buddies, and they would not be there.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: You know, I love when people come on my show and just trash me. I really -- I have guests here that we're going to introduce in a minute. I think that's true.

He's had 220 people, but they went above.

GRAHAM: Yes, amen.

HANNITY: These are women that knew him in high school, college, law school, the Bush administration, law clerks of his.

GRAHAM: Right.

HANNITY: Here's my question. Many of your colleagues when they say, I believe her --

GRAHAM: Right.

HANNITY: -- do they believe in the presumption of innocence anymore?

GRAHAM: No, they just want to get Trump. There is no way you can say that an allegation this old not specific to time and place when everybody else supposedly at the party said it didn't happen, that you can render a conclusion in favor of one person over the other. You just want an outcome.

This is about outcome politics. Whatever it takes to stop Trump will do, whatever we have to say about Kavanaugh to stop him we'll will say. It's been disgusting. They've had this allegation since July, they are playing politics with it, there's been delay and deception and it won't work. It's going to blow up in their face.

HANNITY: Let me ask you one final question. I'll be negligent if I didn't ask you about Rod Rosenstein and "The New York Times" report. They are standing by that report from last Friday.

GRAHAM: Right.

HANNITY: He will be meeting with the president.

I honestly think it's a set up. And I think the president should not be the one firing Rod Rosenstein.

GRAHAM: Right.

HANNITY: And I have been saying he should be fired and should go away for a long time. I think it's a set up.

And my question to you, what is your take? Where is Jeff Sessions? That would be his department, his job. What is your take? What should happen, Senator?

GRAHAM: Well, two things. I think Rosenstein should appoint a special counsel a long time ago to look at DOJ and FBI abuses regarding the Clinton email scandal and the early stages of the Russia investigation. I think he's let us all down there.

Secondly, there were seven people in a room sometime after the election that were trying to wire the president and taken down basically, take the law in their own hands. I believe that Rosenstein was probably being sarcastic. If he was really part of it, he should be fired. But I don't trust McCabe and Page as far as I can throw them. So, if I were President Trump --

HANNITY: But he's also conflicted, Senator?

GRAHAM: Yes, he is.

He should not be overseeing the investigation of the FISA warrant, because he was a part of the FISA warrant. He shouldn't be overseeing this investigation because he was in the meeting himself. I believe Rosenstein until I have a reason otherwise.

But if I were the president, I would make sure that I talk to him before I make that decision.

HANNITY: All right. Lindsey Graham, Senator, we have a lot more to get to. But we appreciate you taking time tonight.

GRAHAM: I'll do that.

HANNITY: Here with more reaction, author of the best number one New York Times best-selling book, "Liars, Leakers and Liberals", it's an awesome book, "The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy", she's the host of "Justice" right here on the Fox News Channel, Judge Jeanine Pirro. Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy, powerful column today, and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Let me start with both of you. You're both in politics, number one. We all know every conservative get smeared. What's your reaction to all this? And especially base on all the people saying that were mentioned, I never knew this, I never heard this.

PAM BONDI, FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, Sean, not only am I am politics, I'm an attorney. And I'm a prosecutor for my entire career for over two decades before I was attorney general.

So not only does the left they don't believe in the rule of law, they want to end the law by doing this to a man of great integrity.

HANNITY: You know him.

BONDI: I know him. I know Brett Kavanaugh.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: How long have you known him?

BONDI: I've known him for a couple of years, I got to know him I hired his former law clerk who was also an Alito clerk who thinks the world of him. And at time I got to be friends with Brett on a personal level. This is a good man. And I've done a national commercial for him for the PAC promoting his confirmation. And his wife, thank goodness she is a strong wife and thank goodness she is--

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Who wants to go through this crap?

BONDI: Absolute -- nobody. That's the strongest point he made, if he doesn't stand up and go through this and fight this, what good person would ever want to run for political office? We have all been attacked but not like that, I mean, that's despicable what they are trying to do, with two young daughters to this good, solid man.

HANNITY: The stories are falling apart, judge, the people that they are saying at these alleged incidents are all contradicting. You know, and I don't -- all of us drank too much in college, although, you know, I was 17 tending bar as a junior in high school. But this new woman Ms. Ramirez says I was inebriated, gaps in memory, calling as the New York Times even said, calling people, do you remember? Because I'm not sure.

JEANINE PIRRO, FOX NEWS HOST: Right, right, exactly. Look, it is clear what's going on here, Sean. And we've run for office. When I was a prosecutor I ran D.S. office. So--

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I did mention in particular New York Post cover of you.

PIRRO: The -- I have many covers, but the Constitution applies to illegals, it applies to criminals, murderers, but it doesn't apply to a man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice, a man who, no woman in the last I don't know how many decades have said a bad word about him, and now all of a sudden we got the left that is using the words of Saul Alinsky, chaos and unruliness to bring socialism and anarchy to this country.

I'm going to ask one question, Sean, I would like to know how many United States senators are willing to change the standards of justice against them to accusation without corroboration? And I guarantee you if we start and go down that road, things will change.

HANNITY: Andy, you had a very powerful column today. I thought you rushed me to a similar but different points that you say that they cannot let these delay tactics. Dianne Feinstein had this back in July.

You say, "They should not delay the judiciary committees hearing or turn it into even more of (Inaudible)." Rush said, confirm Kavanaugh or kiss the midterms goodbye. That's a powerful statement and I agree with it.

ANDREW MCCARTHY, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I agree with it, Sean. And you know, look, I think there's two things going on here. Number one with respect to Brett Kavanaugh's particular nomination, they are obviously trying to do everything they can to delay these accusations were brought out of time and an abuse of the process to try to push it beyond the midterms so that they can try to defeat this nomination in the hope of swinging the Senate and trying to have the votes to beat them.

But I think in the greater context, what's happening here is this is a shot across the bow at everybody on the right, even every moderate in America who doesn't follow the radical left agenda, that this is what they will do to you if you try to crash the party.

HANNITY: Yes.

MCCARTHY: That they will stoop to--

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I went to a history lesson and I've a lot more tape.

MCCARTHY: -- in order to destroy people.

HANNITY: Yes. Pam?

BONDI: We've all been attacked, we've all been attacked in our careers. All of us. But they are--

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: If you say that they were misogynist.

BONDI: Right.

HANNITY: If you say they committed sexual assault.

BONDI: Right, they are trying to eviscerate a good human being, a man who has devoted his entire life to public service, it's inexcusable.

PIRRO: And you know this guy, Avenatti, he's another of--

HANNITY: Of Stormy.

PIRRO: You know, he chooses Stormy to turn--

HANNITY: And eventually to--

BONDI: I know.

PIRRO: He chooses a judge on the second -- on the circuit court of appeals, one in the Supreme Court of gang rape. Mr. Avenatti, that is slander per se, that is the kind of accusations against the judge that should bring you before the grievance committee but nothing is going to happen.

HANNITY: Last word goes to Andy McCarthy.

MCCARTHY: And the kangaroo court have a vote?

HANNITY: Have the vote.

PIRRO: Have the vote.

HANNITY: Where will Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski go?

BONDI: Exactly. They better go with us. They better go with Judge Kavanaugh.

PIRRO: You know what, they can talk all they want but if they are true to the Constitution they'll vote for this man.

BONDI: They better.

HANNITY: The stories are falling apart, but I want everybody to be heard. You know what, the people that have been fair here have been conservatives. The people that rushed to judgments are on the left just like in all those other high-profile cases.

Thank you all for being with us. When we come back, Ed Henry with a live report from Washington. Also three women who know Brett Kavanaugh about for his character. Later, we will also have a pretty big announcement, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. Joining us now with the very latest on the Kavanaugh confirmation and the controversy it has consumed, he is Fox News Channel's chief national correspondent and friend of the program, Ed Henry. Ed, what's going on tonight?

ED HENRY, FOX NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Sean, great to see you. Judge Brett Kavanaugh going on offense tonight declaring he will not be intimidated into withdrawing his nomination. As President Trump today said all this is political and he is going to stand by his nominee.

You mentioned that exclusive interview, Judge Kavanaugh and his wife Ashley did with our colleague, Martha MacCallum, he was firm in saying he never sexually assaulted anyone.

Although I am hearing from some Republicans tonight who are privately saying they think the answers were a bit robotic and on Thursday they're expecting him when he goes before the Senate judiciary panel to be much more fiery in his testimony like he was in a letter today to the Republican Chairman Chuck Grassley where in part, Kavanaugh said, "That these are smears, pure and simple, and he thinks it's debasing our public discourse."

There was also an emotional letter from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford that she wrote to the judiciary panel where she said that she felt agony, yet urgency to air these allegations as a civic duty.

Although, now three alleged witnesses in addition to Kavanaugh have all said they have no recollection of the alleged incident in high school.

The New Yorker magazine meanwhile, as you noted, has published a new allegation by a classmate at Yale, Deborah Ramirez, who claims that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her even though the magazine admits it was not able to confirm that Kavanaugh was actually in that room.

And the New York Times has revealed that the allegations is so thin that they interviewed several dozen people in the past week and could not corroborate the story and could not convince -- convincible report that in fact it was true.

Now, Michael Avenatti says that within the next 48 hours he will be releasing even more salacious allegations against Kavanaugh. The bottom line tonight is that the Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said that this is a smear campaign against Kavanaugh.

And he vowed that no matter what happens before the Judiciary Committee on Thursday he is planning to have a vote up or down on the Senate floor in the next few weeks to get everyone in both parties on the record, Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Ed Henry, thank you so much for being with us. Earlier tonight on Martha MacCallum, The Story right here on Fox News where Judge Brett Kavanaugh he came forward to defend his name in the wake of the vicious political smear campaign that is currently under weighing against him. Here's what he said. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRETT KAVANAUGH, U.S. APPEALS COURT JUDGE: I've never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not ever. I've always treated women with dignity and respect. Listen to the people who have known me best through my whole life, the one that has known me since high school. The 65 who overnight signed a letter from school saying I always treated them with dignity and respect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Joining us now, three women who have known Mr. Kavanaugh for over a decade. Some over 25 years, Anita McBride, Monica Mastal, and Cathie Martin with us. Thank you for all for being here.

I know it's hard for people who don't usually do TV. Let me start, Monica, with you. You are one of the original 65 that knew him back in his high school days and not one has said it, take my name off the list.

And in total, 220 people have spoken out in favor of Judge Kavanaugh. And speak of his character and what a gentleman he was. I mean, I felt bad for him having to answer certain questions tonight. What do you make of this new allegation, and why are all of you standing so strongly behind him?

MONICA MASTAL, BRETT KAVANAUGH'S FORMER COLLEAGUE: I don't believe the new allegation. I believe when Brett denies something, he's telling the truth. That it was not corroborated, it wasn't that the New York Times ask two people, they ask dozens of people and they can't even find that he was in the room.

So if you can't corroborate an accusation, I don't see how it can possibly be believed. But I also believed Brett when he said he doesn't do something and he said it under oath he didn't do it.

HANNITY: Look, I look at the New Yorker and I look at all the things that Ms. Ramirez said. And Cathie, I will throw this to you.

CATHIE MARTIN, BRETT KAVANAUGH'S FORMER COLLEAGUE: Sure.

HANNITY: Not one person that either Professor Ford or Ms. Ramirez bring up as these substantiating witnesses in this case. Say a single thing that corroborates their story, not one.

MARTIN: They are completely uncorroborated allegations, and Brett has unequivocally denied them and I believe him because it's inconsistent with everything we know about him as a person. I've known him for over 20 years, in the professional context in the White House, and also as a close, personal friend.

And nothing about this gels with the person that we know and that is why you have had such an outpouring of support from women who know him, throughout every stage of his life.

HANNITY: You've known him for over two decades.

MARTIN: Yes.

HANNITY: When you look at the 11th hour of all of this and the fact that in the case of Professor Ford, they have this back in July and only today returned over the original letter to the Republicans, I mean, it's shocking to me that people -- that so wrong. As Senator Collins said it, it's not fair to anybody to hold something like that back.

MARTIN: The timing of that release of this information is a very disturbing, given that we had a full hearing and a process in place. And it isn't fair to Brett Kavanaugh and it's not actually fair to Dr. Ford, either, the way this has unfolded.

And I don't believe the process currently has really gotten to the bottom of this. And I hope that on Thursday we will hear from both of them and we will continue to hear what Brett Kavanaugh said today, which is that this did not happen unequivocally and that none of it is true.

HANNITY: You know, Anita, if you look at the 36 years, all of these people that knew him in high school and all these people that knew him in college, and knew him in law school, and all of these people that worked with him over the years -- you worked with him the Bush administration, and others - - women that have clerked for Judge Kavanaugh and worked with him on the court, they say that his character is really a cut, noticeable cut above the average person. What was your experience?

ANITA MCBRIDE, BRETT KAVANAUGH'S FORMER COLLEAGUE: Well, absolutely. You gave me the perfect question, to be able to at say to you I have lived in this town and worked in this town for 35 years, three different administrations.

I could count on one hand of the numbers of people who rise to the level of such great integrity and character that I would sit here and defend to the death. Like Brett Kavanaugh.

And in his letter to Senator Grassley, and Senator Feinstein, the recent one that was released today, he is saying he owes it to all of us to defend his dignity. We owe it to him because he is an example of really what is happening in this country right now.

This is a sickening spectacle of what's happening on Capitol Hill. I've never seen anything like it, and I have been through a number of Supreme Court nominations in three administrations. This is really such a shock to our institution. They are there to protect the fairness for everyone.

HANNITY: Monica, Cathie, and Anita, you are three of over 200 that speak the same way about Judge Kavanaugh. I think it's important the American people hear from you. Thank you all for being with us.

When we come back, we'll have more on Judge Kavanaugh. Also Rod Rosenstein will meet face-to-face with President Trump on Thursday. Sara Carter and Gregg Jarrett have the latest development and much more, stay with us. And an announcement.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Now Rod Rosenstein is set to meet with the president face-to-face on Thursday.

Joining us now with reaction, Gregg Jarrett, number one New York Times bestselling author of the "The Russia Hoax," and Sara Carter, investigative reporter. Let's go to you first. We usually go to Sara because she gives us news, but let's go to you first on this.

GREGG JARRETT, FOX NEWS LEGAL ANALYST: You may be right that this could be a set up to get the president to fire Rod Rosenstein. And of course the media and Democrats which is redundant we go a hair on fire crazy about it.

So in the alternative perhaps it would be wise to simply relieve Rod Rosenstein of oversight of the special counsel case pending an investigation into these very serious charges.

HANNITY: Gregg, let's throw this to Sara. Sara, I have never been more certain in my life that they want the president to fire Rosenstein. And if you would have done it on Friday they would have called it and compare it to the Saturday night massacre, call it a Friday night massacre.

They want it so bad, they can taste it. Is he conflicted? Yes. Are there major problems? Yes. The president shouldn't have to do this. That's Jeff Sessions that's his department. Where is he again?

SARA CARTER, FOX NEWS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Where is Jeff Sessions, Sean.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: No idea.

CARTER: Everybody is asking these questions and I think Gregg has a point here. The allegations of the New York Times are very serious. Whether or not there are people within the administration that are willing to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president or wiretapped the president at one point in time, the president needs to investigate this whether the inspector general investigates it. I don't know.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Well, they're saying that he was being sarcastic to Andrew McCabe who we also know--

CARTER: Maybe.

HANNITY: -- lied. Or leaked.

CARTER: We think a lot of people are lying, Sean, there's a lot of people that are lying on the New York Times had that anonymous op-ed out, apparently from somebody in the administration. I think the most important thing for the president to do in order to regain the trust back at this Department of Justice is to do hat Gregg said.

Find a way to investigate this matter and put it behind them, and if he finds out that Rod Rosenstein really did do that and not in a joking matter, he has the authority under article two to remove him.

HANNITY: But rod has the keys to the kingdom. Rod gets to decide--

(CROSSTALK)

JARRETT: There--

HANNITY: Wait, wait. He gets to decide and tell Mueller, don't subpoena. He gets to decide to come release or don't release the final report.

JARRETT: You are thinking tactically, unthinking fairness and justice.

HANNITY: You are thinking legally.

JARRETT: That's right.

HANNITY: Being the good lawyer.

JARRETT: There are legitimate myriad reasons for Rosenstein to be removed from the special counsel case. He is a fact witness and he is the chief prosecutor. You can't do that, that violates federal regulations.

HANNITY: Sara, last word for you tonight as we're little short on time obviously with the Kavanaugh stuff.

CARTER: Sean, I do understand what you're saying. I'm going to agree with Gregg on this, as far as like taking a step back and looking at it. The president will make his decision on Thursday.

HANNITY: We'll see, and we may will have more information by that. Thank you both. All right. When we come back, Rush Limbaugh had an amazing warning for the GOP, and I have an announcement, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Earlier today, Rush Limbaugh had a very stern warning for Senate Republicans. I hope they were listening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, TALK SHOW HOST: If the Republicans do not get this vote taken and have Kavanaugh confirmed, you can kiss the midterms goodbye, you can kiss goodbye holding the House, and you can kiss goodbye holding the Senate.

Because whatever the Democrats think of their base, the one thing I know is, that if you guys fold on this and gave and keep bending over backwards, you've done that enough. You've demonstrated that you don't hate women, you've demonstrated that you are open-minded, you've demonstrated that you want to hear from her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Rush Limbaugh. I hope those are listening. Quick programming note, starting tomorrow, we will be live from Washington, D.C., for all of this news. That's tomorrow night at 9 Eastern.

Let not your heart be troubled. We will always be fair and balanced. Laura Ingraham, big news night. No time for chit chat.

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