Tensions flare between Schiff and Nadler during impeachment trial

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Tensions flare between Schiff and Nadler during impeachment trial

Raymond Arroyo breaks down an impeachment edition of 'Friday Follies.'

This is a rush transcript from "The Ingraham Angle," January 31, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: I'm Laura Ingraham, and this is The Ingraham Angle, not from Miami tonight. We're in Washington, where all the action is. Come on, Hannity. Well, now that they've lost their witness vote, Democrats still can't let go.

Senator Mike Ron and Congressman Meadows and Jordan have reaction and Mollie Hemingway and Ari Fleischer are here tonight. They're going to explain how the Democrats stunts, these last-minute little tricks in their bag have turned the public against Washington even more if that's possible. And Raymond Arroyo brings you an impeachment themed Friday Follies. Schiff and Nadler's big crackup and Schumer's Kamala crackdown. This is a fun one. But first, the real bitter clingers. That's the focus of tonight's Angle.  Now remember when Obama described us conservatives as bitter people, clinging to our guns and our religion. Well now we see who the real bitter clingers really are. Schiff, Schumer, Nadler, Pelosi, Romney, Bolton, just to name a few.

Well, all of them when you think about it in their own way are very angry people. They cling reflexively to an ideology that most people just don't relate to anymore. Now the Democrats have become increasingly rabid and radical. They're turning off most sane people. Bolton though he's a poster child for the neo con Never Trump crowd, still fantasizing about the glory days of deploying 100,000 troops for nation building in Iraq. Both Left and Right have rejected his intervention as worldview. Yet somehow, he landed the NSC job at the Trump White House. Go figure.  Well fortunate for us, President Trump was too smart to fall for all that nonsense. A blank check for any country claiming to be an ally with a hand stretched out, not the Trump doctrine maybe. And as for Mitt, can I get a witness Romney. Well, he's bitter too.

He still can't believe someone of his pedigree and upbringing ever lost the presidency and that a man like Trump won it. 2012 is over Mitt. Don't punish Trump or the rest of us for your own weakness as a candidate.

Now, last night, I titled the Angle 24 hours to victory. Love that font. Well that title is correct though because Trump today triumphed over the unfair, unjust and politically motivated witch hunt. But the Democrats cannot accept defeat as we've told you time and again when they lose, they call everything that happened before illegitimate. But now even the liberal media, well they're having a hard time spinning it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump won. He's going to win this trial. He won on the issue of witnesses. He's going to get acquitted. That's how history will remember what went on here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: It's over. They lost. Trump won. Toobin even has to admit it. So, let's move on. But no that would be the gracious thing to do. Instead the Democrats are dragging it out in a pathetic attempt to cast a pall over Trump State of the Union address and to gratuitously ruin Super Bowl weekend for the rest of us.  Oh, the Iowa caucuses. Who cares about those now? Sure, the gang are deeply bitter selfish and self-aggrandizing people. They're bitter once again because Trump has beaten them at their own game and once again, Mitch McConnell, that's sly wily old dog in the Senate outmaneuvered all of them. And once again, some of the radicals in their party are just repelling the public and the support of key senators, they needed.

Senator Murkowski was so turned off by Elizabeth Warren stunt demeaning the Chief Justice with a question last night that she rejected witnesses because of it. She wrote, I will not stand for nor support that effort.

So, while Chuck and Adam tilt at windmills, President Trump what has he done. Well, he's chocked up some fantastic victories this week. The USMCA and a bold Middle East peace plan to name a couple and his administration as managing a global contagion that is threatening lives and international markets. He also signed an executive order to dismantle some of the world's worst criminal enterprises.  (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My administration is fighting these monsters, persecuting and prosecuting them and locking them away for a very, very long time. We are dismantling the criminal organizations that make large scale human trafficking possible  (END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: But the political games are not over, not by a long shot. Now I warned you the other night that the Democrats and the media would drop one shiny object after another, and they do it in front of us as an attempt to kind of drag this out as long as possible. Julie Swetnick is somewhere waiting in the wings. And right on cue, of course, the New York Times conveniently dropped another 11th hour exclusive fed by sources who claim to have read John Bolton's unpublished manuscript.  (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The significance of this can't be understated. Bolton seems to implicate all of the players.  UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Suddenly there is new information that involves Pat Cipollone actually being in a room where supposedly some of this happens.  UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It absolutely disgust me. This is essentially the end of clue. The butler did it in the Oval Office with a match.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Now, it's obvious to anyone with a pulse that this is nothing more than a calculated, anonymously sourced hit job, it's a last-ditch attempt to sway fence sitting senators. But Adam Schiff wants you to believe it as gospel.  (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): You will recall Mr. Cipollone suggesting that the House managers were concealing facts from this body. He said all the facts should come out. Well, there's a new fact which indicates that Mr. Cipollone was among those who were in the loop. Just as we predicted, and it didn't require any great act of clairvoyance. The facts would come out.  (END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Oh, never mind that the President has already issued a blanket statement saying the meeting never happened. So, Schiff is going to do anything though to keep this hustle alive. What else does he have? Even if it means tarnishing the reputations of good men like Pat Cipollone.

Now, Schiff knows he's lost, and he knows that he and all the Democrats are grasping at it and claim no matter how tenuous the string to fake this impeachment. Keep it going. Keep it going. Keep it going. Chuck Schumer, by the way, is already refusing to accept the results of the next election unless, of course, something happens between now and Wednesday. And Trump is just removed from office.  (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): If this President is interfering in the elections, the elections may not have a fair result. Very few people doubt that he would do it again and again and again. He's already tried several times.  (END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: He's done it several does. This from a man, by the way, who supports striking Trump's name from the ballot in November while forcing major candidates in his own party off the campaign trail just days before the Iowa caucuses.  And Trump is the one interfering with the elections? No, Chuck, it's you and Schiff and the entire Democrat gang, who are putting your fingers on the scale for the Democrat establishment. Good luck. But the American people see right through you. And that's the Angle.  All right. Joining me now is Sol Wisenberg, Former Deputy Independent Counsel. Also, with me is Gregg Jarrett, Fox News Legal Analyst. Gregg let's start with you. We thought and yet we knew there was going to be something that happened today. We all predicted it last night, even though Trump won, Toobin had to say, look, it's over. We won. They won. But what sorts of stunts could the Democrats pull between now and that Wednesday vote?  GREGG JARRETT, FOX NEWS LEGAL ANALYST: Well, they're relying on The New York Times. This is impeachment by The New York Times based on anonymous hearsay, multiple hearsay witnesses who actually haven't read Bolton's book.

Look, even if you assume that President Trump, for the sake of argument, wanted a quid pro quo to investigate the Biden's, it's still not an impeachable offense because the President had a legitimate public interest reason to ask Ukraine to look into the Biden's conduct and anybody seriously argue that Joe and Hunter Biden's conduct here isn't objectively suspicious and warranted an investigation by any reasonable standard. It did.

This is a kid who's making a million bucks a year in exchange for nothing with no expertise. And then a father threatening to extort a billion dollars from Ukraine to fire the investigator in Ukraine who's investigating Hunter Biden's company in what really hurt them the most was when the Democrats own witnesses video clips were played in which they were saying they had serious concerns about what Hunter and Joe Biden were doing and reporter clips, raising questions about potential corruption by the FBI.  INGRAHAM: All right. Well, we're going to learn more about that. They're going to be having oversight hearings. This is the beginning, not the end. Lindsey Graham has had a judiciary. But you're going to see foreign relations and others involved.

Sol, the President's legal team called out this common line that we keep hearing from the Democrats throughout the trial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY SEKULOW, TRUMP DEFENSE TEAM: You did hear evidence. You heard evidence from 13 different witnesses. 192 video clips over 28,000 pages of documents. You heard testimony from Gordon Sondland testified in the House proceedings. I did not have an opportunity to cross-examination - to cross- examine him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Sol, was that a good case?  SOL WISENBERG, FORMER DEPUTY INDEPENDENT COUNSEL: Well, that particular point was a very good point, because you're talking about - the House managers are talking about not being able to call witnesses. There are a number in the trial. There are no problems with that. But it's very important that the President was not invited. Remember, the President and his lawyers were not invited until it got to the House Judiciary Committee with Nadler and the game was over by then, they'd already announced no more witnesses. So, I think that particular point was outstanding.

The bigger point to me is, you know, impeachment is a serious business. If you're going to do it, don't make it a joke. Don't make it political. Don't authorize the inquiry with a press conference. Dot your eyes. Cross your T's. Be serious. It was so obviously political that people really could not focus on the substantive - the substantive complaints about him. And because of that, they had no credibility.  INGRAHAM: I think so many people tuned out on the other networks. You think that was going to be their big glory day, but their ratings kind of went like this and ours kept going like that, which is nice for us, but it's bad for the country. Now, the media, Greg is joining in on this, Schiff's smear courtesy of The New York Times of the lead counsel for the White House, Pat Cipollone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was so rigged that the man right here defending him was in the room when Trump extorter Ukraine.  UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If he is in a meeting in May where he hears this plan and then he stands up as a lawyer in a tribunal and says the opposite argument as a fact witness, that is - you lose your law license, stuff like that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cipollone is in a hornet's nest of legal ethics issues right now as an attorney.  (END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: I mean Gregg, the great thing about this is Adam Schiff is a fact witness. He shouldn't have been leading the House managers.  JARRETT: Yes.

INGRAHAM: But this attack comes from this New York Times leak from someone who saw a manuscript by John Bolton. But it's clearly just meant to distract from, again, from Schiff's own conflict as a fact witness.  JARRETT: Oh, absolutely. And look, Adam Schiff has done everything he possibly can to cover up his own collusion, if you will, with a whistleblower in creating a pretext to trigger this whole impeachment proceedings. And did anybody honestly believe Adam Schiff when he said on the Senate floor, Oh, I don't know the identity of the whistleblower. Of course, he did.

The other amusing part was Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer saying, oh, this isn't a real trial and it's not a real acquittal because there were no witnesses. There were more than a dozen witnesses that were introduced and accepted into evidence and video clips played for the jurors, the senators of their testimony, and more than 28,000 pages of documents introduced as evidence. It is folly to argue that this is somehow an illegitimate trial. The only thing that was illegitimate was the impeachment in the House, in which fundamental due process was deprived for the president.  INGRAHAM: There was a moment tonight Sol where Jake Tapper was again dangling the shiny objects to the viewers on CNN, echoing what we've heard over the last several days and different iterations about why this acquittal that's coming up on Wednesday will not really be legitimate. Watch.  (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Is striking that there is a national security adviser for President Trump, John Bolton, who is out there basically waving his hands and saying, I would like to be subpoenaed. I would like to testify. You have the President's former Chief of Staff, John Kelly, talking to people, saying, I think that the Senate should call new witnesses. I believe John Bolton, even if President Trump denies this.  (END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: OK, Sol, what's preventing John Bolton from giving an interview with Jake Tapper? They seem like they agree on a lot. And John Kelly wasn't even in the White House during the entire Ukraine saga.  WISENBERG: The John Kelly thing is just hilarious to me, why all of a sudden, this John Kelly, you know, the authority on impeachment and removal. I mean, he couldn't even be a fact witness in this case. And as we've talked about several times on the show, they didn't want to call John Bolton as a witness in the House. They didn't even subpoena him. And when it looked like the judge was going to make a ruling on the Kupperman case, which Bolton said, I'll follow, they withdraw, withdrew their subpoena. I'm not sure why they did it.

But I'll tell you something about whether or not it's legitimate. Just like Nancy Pelosi said, he's impeached forever. He's acquitted forever. And I want to point out one other thing that's incorrect that's being said repeatedly. The Democratic senators are saying that there's never been an impeachment without witnesses. That is not true. The very first impeachment ever in our history had no witnesses. It was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds, which is what a lot of the president supporters wanted to do with this. So, even that isn't accurate.  INGRAHAM: I wanted it to be dismissed out of hand. Right off the top. But they didn't have the votes for it.

WISENBERG: You did.

INGRAHAM: Gentlemen, it's been so much fun, you know, enduring this with you. But I know we'll probably have you back next week. I can't say goodbye but have a great weekend. Enjoy the Super Bowl.

All right. We all know that Trump is going to be acquitted. It's going to happen on Wednesday. But what's the point now? What has been the point of all of this? It's a political stunt to keep it going. Democrats clearly to blame here. But what's their motivation, the real motivation to not do what they could have done today and get it into the Iowa caucuses? The State of the Union, those two things are happening in Monday and Tuesday.

Mollie Hemingway, Senior Editor at The Federalist. Ari Fleischer, former White House Press Secretary. Both Fox News Contributors. Mollie, they don't trust their own primary voters, do they? To pick whoever they want. The Iowa caucuses, they're keeping a lot of people in town.  MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, SENIOR EDITOR, THE FEDERALIST: It's a follow-up of the entire operation of not trusting voters. Nobody ever thought that this impeachment would ever lead to the removal of the President. It was always about affecting voters. Thoughts about the president.

Likewise, there seems to be a lot of concern in the Democratic Party about the rise of Bernie Sanders. And there are some drastic measures that people are trying to take to prevent his rise and just a high degree of meddling there.  INGRAHAM: And by the way, Michael Moore - we can't even play the clip tonight because he went absolutely ballistic. And I believe it was in Iowa saying that the establishment in the Democrat Party and basically and I'm putting their finger on the scale against the upstart candidates. But Ari, Schiff, I think demonstrated - he never really gave up his dream of being a Hollywood screenwriter.  (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHIFF: There was a storm blowing through this capital. Its winds are strong, and they move us in uncertain and dangerous directions. If we have faith that the ship of state can survive the truth, this storm shall pass.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: That's the screenwriting for dummies here, I mean. The blowhards may be blowing through the gap at all. Ari, this was a sad moment, even by Adam Schiff standards.  ARI FLEISCHER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I was going to wipe a tear from my eye listening to that beautiful oration. But Laura, what scares me here, when you talk about Schiff and what his next move might be is the House Intelligence Committee, a very important committee for our national security. Historically, a non-partisan committee has now been turned into the House Permanent Committee on impeachment, and they're not going to give up.

I think they're chastened. They realize they went too - well, they don't realize they went too far. But the American people do. I would not be surprised if Adam Schiff tries to pick up this mantle and run another impeachment through the House in the next year or two, if he hears another witness, if we hear somebody else to say it. They can't resist this temptation.  INGRAHAM: Now, what else are they going to do? Actually govern? I mean work with - containing this coronavirus or infrastructure, prescription drug. I mean, they're just - they're not serious people. And Mollie, MSNBC's Chris Hayes tried to spin today's vote as kind of a bittersweet victory for the GOP.  (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS HAYES, MSNBC HOST: Kavanaugh, I think was mobilizing for many Republicans, even ones who don't like Trump. I know them. I've talked to them. I don't think this is mobilizing for people who for Republicans who don't like Trump. I don't think that witness vote particularly is a good vote.  (END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMINGWAY: I wouldn't take Chris Hayes view on these things for how Republicans--

INGRAHAM: Look at the crowds, this is the crowds that showed up for Trump lining up in New Jersey, Wildwood, New Jersey, biggest crowd they've ever had for an event other than a rock concert. Huge event, huge event in Des Moines. Look at these crowds. I mean, Trump maybe exaggerate some of the crowds at times. But these were massive crowds.  HEMINGWAY: Well, and just this was what was such an unforced error from Democrats. Donald Trump does well when he has a foil, when he can say that people are unfairly going after him, which dragging out an impeachment process, which just never, ever caught sway outside of the resistance just helps him completely.

I love the Kavanaugh mentioned though, because I think also what the Left hasn't figured out is that by doing the Kavanaugh smear operation, they kind of ruined all future operations like that where the media and the Democrats walk hand-in-hand as they carefully deploy information and they put out supposed bombshells.

They did that with Kavanaugh. They did that for years with the Russia hoax. And people are not stupid. They woke up to it. Now, when they hear that something's going on. They almost expect to hear some bombshell that turns out not to be a bombshell. Rather than taking it seriously when the media and the Democrats work hand-in-hand for a shared political goal.  INGRAHAM: So, Ari, that's a great point. I think that people are onto this, they're pretty smart. They sense that this is all kind of a smash and grab job, smear and slash, whatever you want to call it. And it gets old and tiresome. This is Super Bowl weekend and we've got some fun events coming up. Iowa caucuses, you got the State of the Union speech. People want to get on with their lives, but they are bitter, and they are clinging, and they want to take everybody else down with them.  FLEISCHER: And they are liberal. In 1994, only 25 percent of the Democrats self-identified as liberals. Today, according to Gallup, 51 percent of Democrats self-identify as liberals. And that's why we have impeachment.

Nancy Pelosi tried to hold that storm back and then she got over flooded. She couldn't control the AOC wing of the Democrat Party. And now you're seeing in Iowa with Bernie Sanders, aren't you? You're seeing in New Hampshire; you're seeing in California. The Democratic Party is fundamentally a different party than it was even one generation ago when Bill Clinton was President.

And this is the Democrats kiss of death. This is where they are turning moderates who don't necessarily like Donald Trump into Trump voters because the Democrats have gone too far, are too angry, and they're just no moderates, reasonable Democrats left.

INGRAHAM: Anything just to stop the winds blowing through the capital speech again. Anything to stop that. Mollie and Ari have a great weekend. We'll see you soon. Up ahead with likely Wednesday acquittal on the schedule. What dirty tricks are the GOP expecting? They have some ideas and they're joining us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)  (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID JOLLY, FORMER FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN: Donald Trump wanted the full acquittal, the Republicans were going to cheer him, and they'll still cheer him, but it softens both sides on Tuesday night. Donald Trump will be still sitting awaiting the final verdict in the Senate. He can't take a legitimate victory lap Tuesday night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Is he and Jeff Flake should take their show on the road. Wouldn't that be a fun duo? Well, on the truth does come out, doesn't it, Democrats will do anything to hurt the President, no matter how petty. And it's because they know Trump is going to win in the end. His acquittal on Wednesday is a virtual certainty at this point.

But what can we expect in the meantime? Joining us now with some ideas, Congressman Jim Jordan, Mark Meadows, both of members of Trump's defense team. Along with me is Indiana Senator Mike Braun, Senator Braun. Please explain for the audience what we might expect between now and Monday. Now, Wednesday. We know there's going to be arguments on Monday, but there seems to be this continuum with the media dropping a little shiny sparkler and the politicos running toward it and saying, bombshell, we need witnesses.  SEN. MIKE BRAUN (R-IN): We could have had it all done in compressed other than for Chuck Schumer. So, what he wants to do in the meantime is milk the time between the vote today, which was clear he was going to lose that, and they wanted time. I think also to get their presidential candidates back to Iowa and then come back on Monday.

Monday, there'll be final arguments Tuesday at time for individual senators to make a floor speech and then Wednesday, the vote. You know, I've been here not a long time, but that's the essence of what we've got. And that was what took an hour and 15 minutes to figure out.

INGRAHAM: But literally, no one wants to hear from any of you. God bless you. We love you. You're a wonderful person. We don't want to hear from you. We don't care about what Susan Collins does about. We don't care about what you know that any of you guys. Murkowski. I'm glad they're getting through this. This is not a therapy session, Congressman Meadows, but this is only in Washington. Do senators or congressmen think, oh, the people are just desperate to hear from us one more time. No one knows how to say goodbye in this town.  REP. MARK MEADOWS (R-NC): Well, you're exactly right. You've hit the nail on the head. What most of America wants is for the President to be about business that actually affects them. And guess what? He has been. We've signed in the USMCA this week. You know, if you look at what happened 16 blocks from here, they're tuning us out and tuning to him because he's actually delivering on his campaign promises.

So, you're exactly right. Listen, Wednesday will come. Wednesday will go. And what will happen in the meantime, we'll see a continuation of politics. We've seen it for the last several days on the Senate floor.

INGRAHAM: It's unbelievable.

MEADOWS: With Adam Schiff, politics day in, day out. And what are we doing, we're taking a break. So, a few of them can go politic in Iowa.  INGRAHAM: But they could have gotten it done today. This all could've been wrapped up today. My Angle was called the real bitter clingers because they're bitter people. They're clinging to what - Mitt's clinging to 2012. And 10 percent of America thought he was going to beat Obama. OK. And the other people are bitter because Trump always outmaneuvers them. And McConnell does as well. McConnell's handled this.

REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): Sure has.

INGRAHAM: Brilliantly, I mean, incredibly. But there was a moment today where one of your old pals, Andy McCabe was on CNN and he was talking about conspiracies. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW MCCABE, ATTORNEY: Beyond the problems that it may cause Mr. Cipollone in terms of his own bar license. He could be facing some sort of inquiry or as a fact witness, you could really make a strong argument that he should have recused himself from representing the president under these circumstances. If this was a conspiracy, he was a co-conspirator.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Andrew McCabe referencing an anonymously sourced "New York Times" article.

REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): It's laughable because the two guys on either side of Mr. Cuomo both were under investigation by the Justice Department. Andy McCabe lied three times under oath and was fired at the FBI. Andy McCabe, Jim Baker was on the other side of Mr. Cuomo. Jim Comey, Lisa Page, and Peter Strzok ran the Clinton investigation, the Trump-Russia investigation, all of them fired, demoted, and left the FBI.

These are the top people. This is what Bill Barr said, the upper echelon of the FBI, there was a failure of leadership there. That is the understatement of the year, and yet he is on here lecturing Pat Cipollone, who just did a great job defending the president? That would be laughable if it wasn't so --

INGRAHAM: He is one of the most ethical, credible people in Washington. Everybody knows -- 

REP. MARK MEADOWS (R-NC): So guess what you get to be if you're under indictment with the FBI and you're part of that top, you get to be a contributor on CNN.

INGRAHAM: Exactly. What is your talent? You actually lied under oath. Senator Braun, Democrats in the media today were declaring the death of the GOP.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI): I think it is a sad day for the so-called Republican Party. They are going to need to find their souls.

CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Republican leadership and membership has now joined hands with a tyrant.

EUGENE ROBINSON, COLUMNIST, "WASHINGTON POST": A Trump-ist party, which is not the Republican Party that you joined years ago, and as I recall, from five years ago. It needs to be removed from positions of authority and power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: He just said it needs to be removed. They are not in favor of a representative democracy. They don't like the people having their say, Senator Braun.

SEN. MIKE BRAUN (R-IN): They won't let up. I talked to the president the day after the Bolton stuff surfaced, and I told him, when we get through this, which we will, we are going to have this all the way until November, 2020. At the tail end of that Q and A the other day, which that was 16 hours of repetition, because Dershowitz did a good job of talking about political interest, public interest, and personal interest. So we teed up a question that said, how does what they put the president through compare to the Bidens? And that was really a quid pro quo. And of course, that got caught in terms of cutting to the bone, to the marrow. And of course it got commented by WAPO and "New York Magazine," and Lee and I did that.

So we can't lay low, because they are going to do this all the way through November of 2020. That is when that final verdict would come in, when the people have their say, and I think they're going to be surprised.

INGRAHAM: Do you think, Congressman Meadows, that some of this is also being done to save the Democrat establishment candidate in Iowa who is having some trouble? Joe Biden is struggling right now. And the rise of Bernie Sanders is undeniable. They kept people in town for a long time and even over the weekend. They are not going to be going in full gear. This has been a long week for a lot of people. What about that?

MEADOWS: If there's one thing I know, it's Washington, D.C., loves to control who is going to be in control. And when you see that, this is all about politics, Bernie Sanders is a threat to the way that Washington, D.C., does it on their side. Donald Trump is the great disruptor, and yet what he continues to do is show that if you are willing to drain the swamp, the swamp will always fight back. That's what we're seeing.

INGRAHAM: Swamp monsters.

MEADOWS: But what we are also seeing is a State of the Union address that is going to be sandwiched by two days of rhetoric that don't matter. And so the state of the union will actually show a vision of what we can accomplish in the year to come.

INGRAHAM: Congressman Meadows, you and I have talked about this related to the Mueller investigation, the spying on Carter Page, the fake FISA warrant, Congressman Jordan, and also, of course, on what happened to Brett Kavanaugh. No one ever seems to pay for what they do to the country. And we have a whistle-blower that really wasn't a whistle-blower. We have an I.G. whose transcript we have never seen. And we have a guy who collaborated in some way, shape, or form with the so-called whistle-blower. We don't really know what happened in that office. Who pays here? Does anyone ever pay?

JORDAN: Let's hope so. Let's hope that the Durham investigation leads to someone being held accountable. But here's the good news, the president is going to be acquitted, and he's going to be acquitted, he's going to win but win stronger than anyone predicted. When Nancy Pelosi started this on September 24th no one would've predicted that every single Republican would have voted against the article of impeachment, one Democrat would vote with us, another Democrat would vote with us on one of the articles, a third Democrat voted present, and a fourth Democrat voted with us and then switched parties.

And what is going to happen next Wednesday? A bipartisan majority in the United States Senate are going to vote to acquit the presidents. So his victory will be stronger than anyone in this town, all the conventional wisdom said back in September. That is the good news. And so in spite of all this, no one being held accountable, the president is going to win and he's going to win much bigger than anyone thought.

INGRAHAM: Acquitted forever.

BRAUN: And then the agenda is going to take over because that is working so well. I came here for that reason. It's working on main street, and when you look at the crazy stuff that Bernie is talking about, that Biden now has to talk about --

INGRAHAM: Grab your wallet, my friends. Grab your wallet, hide your pets.

BRAUN: We're going to win for several reasons.

INGRAHAM: Hide your pets. And I understand that you were put out there because you were out a lot on television, more so that you've been, because you were reassuring to people. And I just want to say I do find Indiana very reassuring. Every time I go there the people are very reassuring.

BRAUN: It's the crossroads of America.

INGRAHAM: And you are very reassuring.

BRAUN: Thank you, and I'll continue to be so.

INGRAHAM: And I loved having you all on in the last few weeks, and we'll talk to you next week, I'm sure. But thanks so much, guys.

And coming up, Adam Schiff and Chuck Schumer have trouble keeping their minions in line? And has the Senate chaplain gone rogue? Raymond Arroyo must be here, and it must be Friday Follies, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: It's Friday, it means time for Friday Follies, an impeachment edition. Joining us with all the details, Raymond Arroyo, FOX News contributor. Raymond, you saw a moment at the trial last night that told a bigger story.

RAYMOND ARROYO, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: It did. When the final questions came, Laura, for the House prosecutors, Jerry Nadler moved as fast as he has ever moved to answer, even when lead manager Adam Schiff tried to stop him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ROBERTS, SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE: Any other comments the Senate would benefit from hearing before we adjourn for the evening?

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Jerry, Jerry, Jerry.

REP. JERROLD NADLER (D-NY): Mr. Chief Justice, members of the Senate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARROYO: Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. It reminded me of another team that also kind of fell apart, had a big falling out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, that's all I ask. No, listen to me. I just want to know, was that hard? I just want to know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Raymond, Raymond, Raymond.

ARROYO: Both these Jerrys had enough of that Schiff, OK. What happened here, you'll remember, Nancy Pelosi is really to blame for this animosity of these men. Jerry Nadler as head of the Judiciary committee, he should have been the first prime mover of impeachment. She put her friend and her accomplice Schiff to lead not only the impeachment, but to guide the hearing.

INGRAHAM: He wanted to be Schiff-less.

ARROYO: And then you remember, when Nadler got up, he made those horrible comments to the senators, saying this is a torturous vote, traitorous vote. That set off alarms. And then the Nadler hustle may have been payback for this moment at a presser last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Nadler, Mr. Nadler, the Republicans have been going --

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): I'm going to respond to the questions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Nadler has been criticized by Republicans, Mr. Schiff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARROYO: I'm going to respond to the questions, and Nadler had to just sit back and take it. Let me tell you, it didn't matter whether Schiff or Nadler led this thing, or who was driving the bus, there wasn't enough gas to get it where they wanted it to go. It's over. But it shows the tension and the animosity.

INGRAHAM: And I noticed there is something about Adam Schiff when he gets a little bit exercised about something. His eyes, he does the Marty Feldman eyes thing.

ARROYO: The eyes distend a little bit. But we've got to move on, Laura.

INGRAHAM: Since impeachment began, the media has taken up the Democrat line, and they're trying to characterize the proceedings this way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Any other comments the Senate would benefit from hearing before we adjourn for the evening?

REP. ADAM SCHIFF, (D-CA) CHAIRMAN, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Jerry, Jerry, Jerry.

JERROLD NADLER, (D-NY) HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Mr. Chief Justice, members of the Senate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARROYO: That was the wrong bite. It was actually, they were talking about this being a solemn, serious occasion. I'm not sure Senator Kamala Harris got the memo. Watch Chuck Schumer's reaction when Kamala was a little less than solemn and serious.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you view it as at least a partial victory that you have a Republican like -- I will start again. Do you view it as at least a partial victory --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARROYO: Start again when everybody is solemn.

INGRAHAM: Let's cut that out. I'm surprised Kamala didn't break into that -- remember how she did that dance tape?

ARROYO: A little song and dance routine?

INGRAHAM: Yes, that dance tape.

ARROYO: The Bob Marley routine.

Laura, there was a moment that, frankly, it made me pretty sad when I watched this. The Senate Chaplain, Barry Black, opened the Senate trial with this prayer. Listen closely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARRY BLACK, SENATE CHAPLAIN: Remind our senators that they alone are accountable to you for their conduct. Lord help them to remember that they can't ignore you and get away with it, for we always reap what we sow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARROYO: If you're going to condemn people and raise the judgment of god to them, don't do it over a partisan thing like this impeachment. This is divisive. He should be bringing people together. I'm sorry, I think the chaplain went above and beyond his authority here.

INGRAHAM: There were a number of prayers, there were a number of prayers - - you felt like it was --

ARROYO: He said earlier in the week the trial will make the nation stronger, wiser, and better. How? Raise your moral voice for things that matter -- abortion, religious liberty. That's where his conscience --

INGRAHAM: All right, Raymond, before we go, they say a picture is worth 1,000 words.

ARROYO: Yes, they do.

INGRAHAM: But is it really the case? Do we see the faces of what it all looks like at the end?

(MUSIC)

ARROYO: Oh, so sad. This was after the Senate voted, Laura, no witnesses. Very dejected.

INGRAHAM: She looks happy. Imagine having a drink with her tonight.

ARROYO: Won't you help this anchor?

(LAUGHTER)

INGRAHAM: This is like a save the children ad.

ARROYO: You know the old factory line, Laura, the world is a looking glass and gives back to every man what his face shows? God help some of these folks, I hope they have happier days.

INGRAHAM: When we return, the Democrats' conspiracy trick. Solomon and Lee Smith explain in moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): You've heard about the Adam Schiff is the root of all evil conspiracy theory. You've heard about the Burisma conspiracy theory, the whistle-blower conspiracy theory.

MAX BOOT, SENIOR FELLOW, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Retelling these discredited old conspiracy theories that have been investigated time and again and have been found to be groundless.

REP. JASON CROW (D-CO): These widely debunked Russian propaganda conspiracy theories about Burisma and Ukrainian involvement in the election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: It's a nice trick, isn't it? It's so obvious, though. The left has played this trick relentlessly in the age of Trump. If the facts are inconvenient, just say they are all conspiracies.

Joining us now, two investigative journalists, Lee Smith, author of "The Plot Against The President," and John Solomon, FOX News contributor. John, they are willing to take every leak at face value, yet ignore the rank corruption in their midst. What gives here?

JOHN SOLOMON, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: It was the story of Russia, right? The built the Russia collusion on 1,000 leaks that turned out not to be true, right? And the greatest conspiracy theory foisted upon the American people was the Russian collusion story brought to you by the same crowd that just gave us the impeachment trial.

INGRAHAM: And they just kept repeating, though, during the impeachment trial and during Senate trial, they just kept going over and over, conspired with Russia, the Kremlin is happy. How many times did you see that?

SOLOMON: Too many for the facts, that is for sure.

INGRAHAM: Lee, again, this is what we've come to expect from the Democrats. When Adam Schiff was asked about Mr. Misko and his staff and the movement with the whistle-blower -- you are not going to besmirch the record of my staff. He got very indignant, wouldn't answer the question.

LEE SMITH, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Right. Look, this is a person who has not only injected an enormous conspiracy theory, the most destructive conspiracy theory in U.S. history, but also look at how he has attacked colleagues. He spied on congressional colleagues, including the staff of Congressman Nunes. So this is an extremely destructive figure.

INGRAHAM: This is what happens when someone actually asks even a slightly probing question of Schiff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On March 14th, 2014, "The Washington Post" had an editorial, the appointment of the vice president's son to Ukrainian oil board looks like nepotism at best, and the said nefarious at worst.

KATE BEDINGFIELD, BIDEN CAMPAIGN SPOKESWOMAN: This is the equation of Donald Trump's significant impeachable wrongdoing with something not a single person has suggested Joe Biden used to his advantage or his son's advantage.

It's exactly what Trump wants.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Obviously it's a question about Joe Biden, but same deal. You ask a question they don't want to answer, they call it a conspiracy theory.

SOLOMON: I'm a pinata in their little conspiracy theory party, they have been beating me around a lot. But the fact of the matter is, if you can't address the facts, you have to use ad hominem attacks to distract, and that is what they've done.

INGRAHAM: You specifically mentioned something earlier about John Bolton and the Ukrainians. Tell us about this.

SOLOMON: So this is a fact that you won't hear elsewhere in the media, but a few months before he joined President Trump as a national security adviser, he received $115,000 payment for two speeches to Victor Pinchuk's organization. Victor Pinchuk is a very powerful oligarch in Ukraine and the man who is the single largest donor to the Clinton Foundation. So he is one of the many people that had their finger in that little money jar that is called Ukraine. A lot of politicians have dipped their fingers in that.

INGRAHAM: A lot of people make a lot of money overseas, Lee, don't they? And there are a lot of people who are working inside the administration who seem very focused on their areas of interest, sometimes not so much on the United States. And Kellyanne Conway was on our show the other night, and she said that she was very worried that people are still inside the administration burrowed and, almost a shallow state, not even a deep state, working against the interests of this president.

SMITH: This is an enormous problem, and insofar as the National Security Council staff can be winnowed down to an effective instrument to implement the president's policies rather than fighting him on anything, it wouldn't be surprising at all if we find ourselves in the same place but within a matter of months. I imagine that right now the same operators, including Congressman Schiff, including rogue intelligence officers, including, of course, the press, are cooking up something right now as we speak.

INGRAHAM: Before the election, this is going to --

SOLOMON: Adam Schiff is Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day," the movie. You're going to keep coming back and hearing impeachment, impeachment, impeachment.

INGRAHAM: Right, but when we see Fred Fleitz, who was the former chief of staff for John Bolton, he said he believes the NSC should be moved out of the White House. Move the whole thing out of the White House altogether. That is how little he trusts the people at the NSC that are working in the White House right now.

SOLOMON: It is shameful that we are in a moment in our history where a noble institution like the NSC has to be so distrusted because of their own conduct.

INGRAHAM: House Intel, it goes on and on.

SOLOMON: The FBI.

INGRAHAM: Both of you, thank you so much.

And coming up, Britain is finally free. A tribute to Brexit. We wanted to be there so bad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did it! We transformed the landscape of our country. We are celebrating tonight because we know that this is the single most important moment in the modern history of our great nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: What a week. We wanted to be there with them. We couldn't because we had to cover impeachment. It was like the Fourth of July in Britain. It was an amazing, amazing event. Brexit is official, or closer to an end. Britain freed itself from its 47-year membership in the E.U. Very satisfying moment. Sorry, Angela Merkel. She remarked, this is a deep cut for us all.

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