'The Ingraham Angle' on changing facts on COVID-19

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The lies that bind: The left's COVID lies already being overtaken by the truth

Medical bureaucracy admitting what 'The Ingraham Angle' told you two years ago

This is a rush transcript from "The Ingraham Angle," January 10, 2022. 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 a special edition of THE INGRAHAM ANGLE. The lies that bind. That's the focus of tonight's 'Angle'.

Now, it's only January 10th, and the web of lies woven by American agents of disinformation is beginning to unravel for all to see. Now from the government's response to the pandemic to our Military leadership's failures and critical points in between, we see an elaborate effort to create an America fueled with fear ignoring basic truths and accountability.

Now, it should be obvious now that Democrat elites use this COVID crisis as a way to increase government dependence and government control. Now, unfortunately, for the Biden White House and the regime media, the facts are catching up with them too fast to deflect. And so their old COVID lies and scaremongering, it's all falling apart fast.

Now, first on the vaccine mandates. It's now a proven fact that being vaccinated and boosted neither protects you from contracting the virus, nor spreading it. And more shocking is the new data that the vaccinated are more likely to contract Omicron than the unvaccinated.

Now, a fantastic piece today in the Wall Street Journal correctly notes. "One preprint study found that after 30 days, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines no longer had any statistically significant positive effect against Omicron infection. And after 90 days, their effect went negative, i.e., vaccinated people were more susceptible to Omicron infection."

So this makes comments from teachers unions, reps, attempting to justify the ongoing school closures all the more infuriating.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't know what new variant of this virus will come upon us. But this is what we do know. If we put in place those layered mitigation strategies, testing and vaccinations, ventilation, cleaning surfaces, washing hands, making sure that we wear mask, all of those together. We know we can stem the tide of those infectious rates.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: OK. Washing hands, ventilation, ok, it's fine, fine, fine. But the other stuff wrong, wrong, wrong. She's either lying or she's ignorant. But of course, the unions are just following the lead of certain illustrious Supreme Court justices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELENA KAGAN, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES: We all know what the best policy is. I mean, by this point two years later, we know that the best way to prevent spread is for people to get vaccinated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Has the former dean of Harvard Law School really not been following any of the Omicron developments? Now, remember, Kagan is supposed to be one of the smarter members of the court.

And let's not forget one of the most pernicious and damaging things that Fauci and the pharma crowd did, was to downplay the effectiveness and durability of natural immunity from previous COVID exposure. This is the T and B cell immunity that endures long after antibodies have waned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOY REID, MSNBC HOST: What do you say to people who say, Well, I had COVID, therefore, I am immune from COVID?

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NIAID: The issue of if you've been infected, how long your protection lasts? We don't have enough information of that to give a great deal of confidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: When are they going to have that information? Well, of course, the 'Angle' was derided for merely standing up for basic immunology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Fauci said in a later interview that he knew of no scientific evidence that the common cold derived T cells protect against infection with COVID. Dr. Oskoui, that's T cell immunity. Apparently, he doesn't read any of the medical literature that you and I and the medicine cabinet have been talking about on air for months now.

RAMIN OSKOUI, CARDIOLOGIST: There is significant literature that shows that there's T cell immunity, not just to COVID but cross community with other common coronaviruses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: And Dr. Oskoui was right again. We're finally beginning to see the truth emerge. A new Imperial College analysis shows that past infection with common cold coronavirus, just as Oskoui said, offers T cell protection against COVID-19.

Now, COVID-19, of course, is a particularly nasty version of a coronavirus with the massive number of asymptomatic COVID infections in the U.S. We already had an enormous amount of natural immunity rolling around.

Now, forcing vaccines on people then denying them employment, or access to public spaces is simply abusive. Frankly, it's a crime against humanity. I said it before and I'm going to say it again, especially as it's directed among our young people who've suffered the most from lockdowns and restrictions.

But here we go again, with schools and universities closing to in-person learning. From the beginning, we tried to warn them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Our kids need to be back in school. Period. Widespread closures will have terrible long-term consequences for our children, and we'll do little if anything to stop COVID-19.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: But these patently evil policies of school lockdowns are still being given cover by a medical establishment that's pushing the lie that schools aren't safe unless everyone, teachers, staff, students are fully vaxxed and wear masks. This insanity has even infected the brains of Supreme Court justices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SONIA SOTOMAYOR, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT: We have over 100,000 children, which we've never had before, in serious condition, and many on ventilators.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Now, when Biden's CDC director was asked to push back on that blatant lie, she waffled. Then she went back to the same old tired talking points and fearmongering. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS HOST: What we can find from Friday suggests, there are fewer than 3500 current pediatric hospitalizations from COVID-19. Is that true?

ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: Yes. The most important thing we can do for those children to keep them out of the hospital is to vaccinate them and to vaccinate their family members around them.

BAIER: Right. But I'm talking from your data, ages 15 to 24, for example, the risk of death is at 0.001 percent.

WALENSKY: Yes. I - here's what I'm telling you. I'll tell you that right now 17 - if you're unvaccinated, you're 17 times more likely to be in the hospital and 20 times more likely to die than if you're on - than if you're boosted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: She refused to correct a blatant falsehood. But these are the experts. This is appalling. But it's become par for the course for the Biden team. This is what they do.

Now, they may see they want to open schools, because that helps them politically. But they're constantly providing fodder to the forces against educating your kids, because they're joined at the hip with the teachers unions. Though there was some good news.

Walensky was forced to make two embarrassing admissions over the weekend. First, on the question of who is really dying from COVID.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALENSKY: The overwhelming number of deaths over 75 percent occurred in people who had at least four comorbidities. So really these are people who were unwell to begin with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Again, the 'Ingraham Angle' was talking about this nearly two years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Dr. Smith, you have new fascinating data tonight on your COVID-19 patients.

STEPHEN SMITH, SMITH CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We haven't had anyone under 70 who didn't have a very high BMI, or was pre diabetic get seriously ill. This is amazing stuff and it's unprecedented.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Next, Walensky fessed up about what's really happening in our hospitals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: It seems to make a big difference if a person in the hospital is in the hospital for COVID-19, or with COVID-19. It's been almost a year since you've been running the agencies. We have that split on numbers?

WALENSKY: What I will say is, it differs by each variant. In some hospitals that we've talked to, up to 40 percent of the patients who are coming in with COVID are coming in not because they're sick with COVID.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Again, we said so. This is obvious stuff. Their COVID house of cards is falling in on itself. But courageous medical experts featured here as far back as May of 2020 warn that obsessing over these things, obsessing over case counts, and mandating vaccines would crush our hospitals, our businesses and our schools.

And lo and behold, even California now sees it can't go on this way forever. It's now allowing asymptomatic hospital staff to return to work calling it temporary flexibility once again. Unions do not want their people back in the workplace. Period. You can always count on the unions.

So it was two weeks to flatten the curve. It was 100 days of masking. It was back to normal by Fourth of July. It was, if you're vaccinated, you won't get COVID and you'll get your life back. It will all be normal again. All lies.

But as with lies, they're eventually overtaken by truth and experience. And the double barreled impact of both are now hitting the COVID control squads, who've exploited a tragedy for their own political and economic gain. And that's the 'Angle'.

Joining me now is Dr. Peter McCullough, a cardiologist and epidemiologist based in Dallas, Texas. Dr. McCullough, you and I have gotten to know each other during this odyssey, where these lies were used to hurt people's careers, to silence them, to demonize them, to take away perhaps hospital privileges. And you and others like you were right all along.

I know, we're not here to just pat you on the back. But you know it, Oskoui and all these other guys knew it. Why didn't the others know it? Or did they, and they just pretended they didn't?

PETER MCCULLOUGH, MD, MPH, INTERNIST: Laura, you've put together a team of medical experts that I think have really been true to the data. We've cited the data, followed this very carefully over time. And many occasions we've said, what's wrong with those who are following a false narrative? Are they simply behind on it? Or is it intentional? Did they know, or should they have known? We still can't answer these questions today.

But at the level of the Supreme Court to be giving out grossly wrong information in spoken statements by the justices, that really takes us to a level that I think historians will record as atrocious.

INGRAHAM: Now, Walensky of the CDC was asked, Dr. McCullough, by our own Bret Baier about COVID deaths from COVID or deaths from COVID versus with COVID. Now, watch this response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Do you know how many of the 836,000 deaths in the U.S. linked to COVID are from COVID? Or how many are with COVID? But they had other comorbidities. Do you have that breakdown?

WALENSKY: Yes, of course, with Omicron, we're following that very carefully. Our death registry, of course, takes a few weeks to - and is - takes a few weeks to collect. And of course, Omicron has just been with us for a few weeks, but those data will be forthcoming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Dr. McCullough, she completely avoids the question again. He wasn't talking about Omicron, which is relatively new. We've had almost two years of data. And they still can't tell us what deaths are really COVID caused deaths versus three, four comorbidity caused deaths.

MCCULLOUGH: Yes, that's true. I had a chance to go over this with Scott Atlas and other one of your contributors on the medical scientific side. And Scott believes that our officials, the CDC officials and NIH officials, that they're simply not competent in managing this rapid flow of data.

What we know from sources actually on the CDC website, but also the Italians have recorded their deaths, it's clearly - basically 10 percent or fewer of all the deaths, is it purely driven by COVID-19 syndrome? The Italians think it's 3 percent. The rest of it is largely contributed to - by other comorbidities.

I mean, the best example would be Colin Powell. Colin Powell had terminal myeloma, he was fully vaccinated. He died with COVID. People didn't make a big deal out of COVID being a determiner of death appropriately so, because he was at the end of his life. That is - what happened to Colin Powell is common to many, many of the deaths we've seen in the United States.

INGRAHAM: Again, you're right. We knew this data out of Lombardy, the Lombardy region of Italy in March and April of 2020, which is what we were talking about at the time was hypertensive, diabetic, high BMI, very old individuals, generally. That data was there in the first two months of COVID. It's very curious as to why this is all ignored.

I have to ask you, though, about this push, Dr. McCullough, to boost Americans as fully vaccinated. So university students are told, you have to get boosted by X date, or you're not welcome on campus. What about that, given Omicron?

MCCULLOUGH: At this point in time, the mandates should be completely dropped across the board. Omicron has been several things one is a huge syndromic change. It's basically very similar to getting a head cold, for those who are previously immune, and those who are vaccinated. Sometimes it's almost an imperceptible mild syndrome that could last a few hours, or a day or so.

It is immaterial to vaccination. There are now several studies as you - as it was pointed out, that there really is no observed vaccine efficacy that we can see in community studies. And we wouldn't expect any protection against hospitalization and death. The viruses simply out mutated the ability for the vaccines to have any control. So--

INGRAHAM: So, Dr. McCullough, the CDC that was already pushing for the fourth booster shot. The New York Times is reporting that, "Some people with a weakened immune system can get a fourth dose as early as the coming week. And other recommendations we expect to come regarding the fourth booster shot."

What's going on here? Is this a Pfizer deal, is it like - what is this? Because it makes zero sense.

MCCULLOUGH: It tips the scales far more towards harm than benefit, because if there's no anticipated benefit. We know with each injection, there's what's called a reactogenicity that with each injection the body actually reacts more severely to the vaccines.

And sadly, there have been far too many deaths that have occurred shortly after vaccination, far too many hospitalizations, injuries, children with hearts been injured, myocarditis. And now, the CDC is reporting in the various system, permanent disability.

INGRAHAM: Dr. McCullough, thank you for being a voice of courage and wisdom throughout this entire pandemic.

Well, unlike in Chicago, schools in New York State are open. But there's a catch. Governor Kathy Hochul has forced students to wear masks statewide regardless of vaccination status. But in Nassau County, my next guest just signed an order trying to block her power grab.

Joining me now is Nassau County exec Bruce Blakeman. Bruce, good to see you. Parents may be happy--

BRUCE BLAKEMAN, NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Hi, Laura.

INGRAHAM: Students obviously are. But the governor, she's not happy.

BLAKEMAN: Well, in Nassau County over the last six months, I've heard from thousands of parents, that they want their kids to go to school without having to wear masks. They feel that it's in the best interest of the children that they learn better, they're happier. And quite frankly, the parents are happier.

So what I said merely is this, let the local school boards decide for themselves school by school, whether or not in their particular school district. People should force their kids to wear masks. I think the result would be that most school districts would not make their kids wear masks. Because as we've seen, masks really do nothing with respect to combating the COVID-19 spread.

Basically, it's more about other sciences than it is about masks. I haven't seen any study yet that says that masks prevent--

INGRAHAM: They don't work. Yes.

BLAKEMAN: --COVID-19 transmission. So--

INGRAHAM: Yes, they don't work. The only ones that work are the N-95, if they're fitted to your face. Can only wear them for about 15 minutes at a time. Kids can't wear. They're just - the entire conversation should just end, because masks in this case, in this setting, this type, they're just pretty ineffective against Omicron.

Now, Bruce, Governor Hochul took a shot at you last week. It was a fairly vindictive one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): People have more experience in county government would know that state government, state laws prevail. There's also the issue of the State Education Department, which has direct control over funding of schools. I hope I don't need to say any more on that topic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: What a petty, vindictive woman she is, Bruce. That was a threat. Take away your money.

BLAKEMAN: Yes. I mean, she's threatening local school board members by threatening to remove them from office, threatening not to fund schools. I mean, how does that help our children when the state says, we're going to take your money away?

All the parents I talk to, they say they don't want masks for their kids. They don't want the Christmas pageant canceled. They don't want football and basketball games canceled. They want to get back to normal. We can't run a country by fear and hysteria.

The fact of the matter is, in Nassau County hospitalizations are at a very, very reasonable level. They're manageable. We've got fine healthcare institutions. They have a lot of capacity. ICU units are not filling up. The death rate is very stable, it's low.

And the fact of the matter is, we need to get back to normal, and it's almost as if some people are cheering. That COVID-19 is still around. We got to try and learn to live with it, and get back to normal. And that's what I want to do in Nassau County. We're bigger than nine states. We have a GDP larger than 160 countries. I think we can make decisions for ourselves.

INGRAHAM: Bruce, I think you're putting together a wide coalition of voters across multiple ethnicities, races, religious backgrounds. And I think it's going to be fascinating to watch. Thank you, Bruce.

And states are rationing COVID care, but not based on science. But kind of a critical race theory thing. You know what's worse? The Biden FDA is encouraging more states to implement what are obviously racist policies. We have these shocking details when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: All right. We have another entry for you in the deranged and evil COVID response department, rationing treatments based on racial guidelines. Well, "In New York racial minorities are automatically eligible for scarce COVID-19 therapeutics, regardless of age, or underlying conditions. In Utah, Latinx ethnicity counts for more points than congestive heart failure and a patient's COVID-19 risk score. And in Minnesota, health officials have devised their own ethical framework that prioritizes black 18-year- olds over white 64-year-olds."

Now, it gets worse. These guidelines actually come straight from the FDA. Joining me now is Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover Institution senior fellow; and Stephen Miller, former senior advisor to President Trump, president of 'America First Legal'.

Victor, is this part of the Democrats' new equity agenda? And is it just the start of this type of racial spoil system in medicine?

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON, SENIOR FELLOW, HOOVER INSTITUTE: Well, it marks a departure, Laura, from the last 55 years of racial preferences that we saw since the civil rights movement in admissions to universities and hiring, because no one in their right mind thought that this would enter life and death decision-making on the basis of race.

And we're hearing about pilot training now and key industry training. So it's a new level where we're going to use race and praise of meritocracy on the very elementals and basic of life. And I'd just add that it's reminiscent, Laura, sort of the Neo Confederate model, because we're looking at the one drop where we're fighting to see everybody's DNA, what particular race gives them some type of edge. We have the sanctuary cities in the Neo Confederate idea of canceling federal law. And we have safe spaces, segregated dorms. So we're going full confederate in the Democratic Party apparently.

INGRAHAM: Stephen, is this - actually this is from the New York Department of Health's monoclonal antibodies treatment guidelines. They say, "Consider race and ethnicity when assessing individual risk. A patient may have been impacted by longstanding systemic health and social inequities that put them at increased risk." Is this even legal?

STEPHEN MILLER, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISER: No, it's not. And that's why my organization 'America First Legal' is pursuing legal action against the state of New York. And we are also examining the other state policies you've gone through to consider what legal actions may be necessary there as well, too. And if you're concerned about how these policies might affect you, or your family, go to aflegal.org, and get in touch with us.

But I want to make a very important point here. This is part of President Biden's plan. When he took office, on his first day in office, he issued an executive order, putting equity at the center of his government. His Build Back Better plan includes mandatory equity training for, you guessed it, health care workers.

Equity is the term they use to describe their system of overt racial discrimination. This is the future the left once and now they're deciding life and death questions based on race.

INGRAHAM: So are minorities in really at an elevated risk for COVID? Well, the data tells a different story. If you look at the numbers, it's clear that when you break down COVID death rates by race. They kind of closely match each group's share of the overall population. So for African- Americans, they're just under 13 percent of the population and 13.5 percent of COVID deaths. So, Victor, does the data justify any of this?

HANSON: No, it doesn't. And you can see where we're leading, Laura. You can have a very wealthy investment banker from India immigrate to the United States and not even be a citizen, a legalized (inaudible) or maybe illegal, and he would apparently, under this paradigm, is a person of color. Even though he might only be 35, would gain preference in life-saving treatments over a 65 so-called white person that was a laid off factory worker.

So there's no consideration of class or circumstance. It's just this crazy racial preferences. You look at the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Laura, it says specifically that no public agency should use race to discriminate in the use of its services. And so, this is entirely illegal. But we know from the whole nullification movement on the left that they don't really care about legality. They think federal law is an optional construct.

INGRAHAM: And, Stephen, this kind of goes hat in hand with their entire agenda about America as a country, being awful, rotten, racist. We have to atone for all the past sins. And the only way to do that is to take money and power from one group based on race and give it to another group based on race. But this is where it's going, if people keep electing Democrats.

MILLER: Correct. This is where it's going. And it's just the beginning. The left's goal is power, and they've figured out that the way they could accumulate power, power over your health care decisions, power over your finances, power over life and death, is to use race as their cudgel, to use race as their sword. And that's what we're seeing right now.

And they're saying, because you're a racist country, because you're systemically bigoted, we need to take all the power and decide as a government who gets medicine, who gets to live in safety, who gets rights and who doesn't. It is fascist and if we don't push back and reclaim our heritage as a nation of legal equality, equal justice, we're going to lose everything we love about America.

INGRAHAM: Gentlemen, great to see both of you tonight.

And still ahead, it's another addition of "Biden by the Numbers," plus Hollywood's biggest night has been reduced to a Twitter thread. "Seen and Unseen," Raymond Arroyo, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MATT FINN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to FOX News live. I'm Matt Finn.

The Chicago's teachers' union votes to accept a deal to reopen schools following a standoff with the district over COVID-19 safety protocols. The disagreement canceled classes for four days in the nation's third-largest district. Under the deal, students would return to the classroom on Wednesday. Union officials have argued COVID safety measures, including testing and contact tracing fall sort amid record-breaking infections.

And starting Saturday, private health insurers will be required to pay for home COVID-19 test. Under the new policy, Americans will be able to either purchase home testing kits for free or submit receipts. Insurance will pay for eight tests per person per month. So a family of four, for instance, could be reimbursed for up to 32 tests monthly.

I'm Matt Finn. Now back to THE INGRAHAM ANGLE

INGRAHAM: And it's time for our "Seen and Unseen" segment where we reveal the cultural stories of the day. And for that we turn to FOX News contributor Raymond Arroyo.

Raymond, Biden is dealing not only with COVID but wildfires in Colorado, and he flew out, and he offered a very compassionate message. It's tonight's "Biden by the Numbers."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What am I doing here? I'm going to lose track here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to have windmills, you're going to see, that have 100-yard wingspans each, each propeller on that, on that windmill, 100 yards long. So there is so much that is going to be able to be done. And I --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAYMOND ARROYO, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Ah, um, Laura, he is utterly lost. How does this help the 1,000 homeowners who lost their homes in those Colorado wildfires? He says they can build their homes back better. How will windmills help in that? I'm not following this at all.

INGRAHAM: The best is when Jared Polis, the governor, is nodding to the 100-yard windmills. First of all, that is like a horror movie, the attack of the 100-yard blade windmills. This is just crazy.

ARROYO: Wait until the pigeons run into that, Laura. It will wipe out whole towns of pigeons.

COVID and a reported lack of diversity at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association totally destroyed the Golden Globes us night. Yes, but there was a Golden Globes, Laura, at the Beverly Hilton, even though there was no stars, no press, no coverage, and they couldn't find any celebrity announcers.

This thing went from Hollywood's biggest night to literally a Twitter thread, OK. I'm not kidding. They announced the winners on Twitter this way. "It takes 43 muscles to smile. Thanks for the workout Andrew Garfield. And congratulations for taking home the Golden Globe for best actor, motion picture, musical, and comedy," even though they don't tell you what he actually for.

Or this, "Cheers to the ladies to make us laugh, and congratulations to Jean Smart for the Golden Globe for best television actress, musical or comedy." Again, they lack the professionalism to include what these people are winning these imaginary Golden Globes four. This is the official end of Hollywood, Laura, as we know it. I think that's safe to say.

INGRAHAM: I tweeted out in response to this that perhaps they should be rethinking their embrace of lockdowns and all of these draconian COVID measures, because they've locked themselves into a closet of irrelevance, because I don't know what these people acted in, but whatever.

Some of the celebrity nominees, Raymond, as you said, they refused to attend the Golden Globes that's tweeted out what they were doing instead?

ARROYO: Some were pushing their brands, their designer duds. Others, like Lady Gaga, she was bragging about getting a booster shot, but still urged people, Laura, to wear that mask because it's so infectious out there, which brings us to an update a "Positively Boosted."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARROYO: Laura, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joins the ranks of the boosted and COVID positive this week. You'll remember she was cavorting in Miami last week. Now she says she is experiencing symptoms and recovering at home. She still is encouraging everyone to get those boosters.

INGRAHAM: People were making a big deal the fact that she wasn't masked. I'd say that's the smartest thing I've ever seen her do. The mask doesn't work.

ARROYO: She was outside.

INGRAHAM: I'm glad that she enjoyed Florida, and it had nothing to do with whether she wore a mask or didn't wear a mask. We hope she is OK, but other than that the numbers are piling up.

ARROYO: And then there is that update, Laura. Positively boosted today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm working from home. You are back in the studio. You have a negative test for COVID. I just tested positive for COVID, so here we go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARROYO: Poor Savannah Guthrie has tested positive, but with many of these people, they test positive, but they are feeling or experiencing very slight symptoms, which we hope is the case for everybody. I hope they all get on the mend.

INGRAHAM: They are all ambassadors, Raymond, for let's just -- this is it. Honestly, they just can't hold onto this thread of power and fearmongering any longer. They look great, they are doing their jobs, stay home, but they're fine, and I'm glad they're fine.

ARROYO: One person not letting Omicron slow her down his Nancy Pelosi, Laura. She jetted out to Vegas for the Harry Reid memorial service, though COVID seemed the least of her worries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA) HOUSE SPEAKER: God truly blessed America with the life of legacy of Harry Reid. May he rest in peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARROYO: Oh, boy, are balance issues a COVID symptom, Laura? We need to check the CDC website. She seems to be having a little bit of a balanced issue.

INGRAHAM: OK, wait a second, someone clearly greased that step. Remember when Trump said that, they ridiculed him. Someone clearly greased that step for San Fran Grand Nan. You can't get on her for that. You can get on her for Harry Reid, may he rest in peace -- he was one of the most vicious senators and the U.S. Senate. He started the whole politics of personal destruction, if you ask me. But that was a hell of a step she had to take there.

ARROYO: She better watch it. I think it may be time for a walker, forget the mask. She needs other assistance.

Poor Nancy. Look, she did a very active week. She had that big town hall in Statuary Hall last week, demonizing the people who came into the Capitol and laying it on thick about the pain in the suffering they were still enduring. This traumatic for Nancy, so that may have contributed to her lack of balance. The lack of balance may be telling us more than we expected.

INGRAHAM: But Raymond, at least San Fran Grand Nan brought the ratings to CNN.

(LAUGHTER)

INGRAHAM: It was shocking the ratings they got for that special.

ARROYO: You destroyed them, by the way. What was that, Thursday, last Thursday, yes. Congratulations, Laura. You doubled their ratings.

INGRAHAM: The statues even got up and left, they were so bored.

(LAUGHTER)

INGRAHAM: Raymond, it is great to see you.

By the way, we have an important announcement about Raymond on Wednesday, but I'm going to make the announcement about Raymond and an accolade. That's all I'm going to say. Raymond, we'll see you on Wednesday.

ARROYO: Mum's the word until Wednesday.

INGRAHAM: OK, as we continue to level threats toward Russia over Ukraine, it's worth asking why not leave this to Europe? Congressman Jim Banks here on that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: Biden has made three huge mistakes that have encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggressiveness. Number one, Biden constantly runs down his own country by claiming that half of his fellow citizens don't respect democracy. Now, this encourages Putin to believe that the Americans are too divided to be of much use, and that they may not even be a country much longer at all. Of course, Biden is lying about this threat to U.S. democracy, but Putin may not realize that. In any event, Biden's disparaging of America is very dangerous.

Number two, Biden's top military officials are manifestly incompetent, as they proved in Afghanistan. And what's worse is Putin knows this as well, and he cares that they care more about being woke then about winning battles. So of course, he doesn't take us seriously as a military power.

And finally, Biden has repeatedly signaled that he is desperate to please folks in the western Europe arena, especially Germany. And since Germany is relying on Russia to stay warm in the winter, he knows he can get away with pretty much anything.

Now, we know that Biden and his team are lying. They don't think democracy is really in peril. They aren't planning to move or sell their stock portfolios. They still vacation in places like Florida every chance they get. And they don't believe that America is on the verge of a civil war or fascism. They just say these things for political purposes. For the rest the world, though, and folks like Putin and China's Xi, they take them very seriously, and that's the real threat.

Joining me now is Indiana Congressman Jim Banks, Republican Study Committee Chair. Congressman, if the Europeans are just going to bow down to Putin, and it seems they are, it's a logical question, is it not, why are we more invested with troops and money in the situation that they are?

REP. JIM BANKS, (R-IN): It's a great question, Laura, and at this point I think Europe is as confused about Joe Biden's strategy toward Russia and the situation of Ukraine as most of us are, because at this point, the Biden administration hasn't articulated what they plan to do. You've already heard Secretary Blinken come out today in the midst of negotiations and talks about this subject and say nothing is going to come out of it, essentially they know that America has no leverage over Putin and Russia who doesn't see America as a threat. So they have already said that the negotiations aren't going to lead anywhere. They've forecast not just to Russia but the rest of the world how much of a joke this administration is.

INGRAHAM: Yes, he spoke about Russia today, and he said this today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I want to thank NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg for bringing us together. As he said in his own press conference a short while ago, Russia's aggressive actions are a threat to peace and security in Europe. We are prepared to respond forcefully to further Russian aggression.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Congressman, again, what does a forceful response look like when it's not clear at all that our so so-called European partners are on the same page with us? I just understand what any of this means.

BANKS: I don't either. I don't think Joe Biden knows what it means. Remember, Joe Biden has been in one year the friendliest U.S. president that we have had towards Russia in my lifetime. He lifted the sanctions on the Nord Stream pipeline. That in and of itself is what Putin and Russia were begging America to do, and Joe Biden did it. He gave it to them.

And all of our European allies, our former allies, whatever we want to call them at this point, they see that message loud and clear as American weakness, America backing off of her own interests. Remember, when America pursues America's interests around the globe, the world is a much safer place. Donald Trump taught us that. Look at North Korea, the Middle East, Afghanistan, China, and Russia, all of it, the world is a much more tumultuous place today on Joe Biden's watch than it ever was when Donald Trump was in the White House.

INGRAHAM: Congressman Banks, there was a report in "The Washington Post" over the weekend that there is going to be a revamp of our boot camp in the U.S. Navy, and it's a major overhaul, they say, aimed at improving recruits war readiness fighting and emergency skills while also focusing on suicide prevention, character issues such as sexual assault, hazing, and extremism in its ranks. I focus on the last part of that, the extremism. Is there or is there not a purge underway in the U.S. military against perhaps Trump supporters, conservatives, people politically interested? I am very concerned about that latter reference.

BANKS: I am, too. And this makes me sick. We should be training, we should be training warriors, combat warriors in the military, not culture warriors. That is what they're doing by adding two more weeks and delaying sailors from going out in the fleet and doing their job.

Last year, Laura, I conducted along with Tom Cotton a report on studying the war fighting culture of the United States Navy. And we interviewed dozens of current active duty United States sailors and officers. And 94 percent of the sailors that we interviewed told us that they believe that there is a culture and leadership crisis in the United States Navy. Now we are seeing the outcome of that. Two weeks added to boot camp to teach CRT doesn't make the United States Navy stronger and more equipped to fight against our biggest adversaries, especially China.

INGRAHAM: You get the sense that it's going to be climate change, extremism, meaning don't support people like Trump. They won't say it that way, but that's kind of what it's all going to be. Two weeks for that, and we're paying for it. Congressman, you guys have the purse strings. I hope we exercise them. Great to see you.

And when we come back, final thoughts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: That is it for us tonight. Don't forget to set your DVR so you always stay connected with us on THE INGRAHAM ANGLE. And never forget to show that you understand what's at stake by wearing your USA made Freedom Matters gear. I get great reaction everywhere I go. And guess what, the nice warm winter hats, there will be up, not on the website tonight, they will be up later this week. They are awesome. You'll love them. I get great, great comments when I fly or run or walk with my Freedom Matters gear, and I know you will as well. Who could be against freedom? Better not answer that.

All right, thank you for watching. Remember, it's America now and forever. And Greg Gutfeld takes it all from here.

END

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