Women who know Kavanaugh rush to his defense
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This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," September 18, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And we have so much breaking news tonight. Welcome to "Hannity."
Now, the presumption of innocence, it is the very foundation of America's justice system and at the very core of our constitutional republic. Sadly, tonight, there are some people in this country ready to throw what is the single most important principle to the wind, all in an effort to delay, disrupt the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh. On this program, on my radio show, I have long emphasized the seriousness of any sexual misconduct allegations. Kavanaugh and his accuser must have an opportunity to should testify under oath. Sadly, that's just not good enough for some people.
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Some want Kavanaugh and the nomination tossed out, delayed indefinitely over decades-old charges. Thirty-six-year-old charges. Now, that FBI is now declining to investigate. They have already investigated Judge Kavanaugh six times and this dates back to Judge Kavanaugh's time in high school, 1982. We have corroboration by zero witnesses, vehemently denied by the accuser and key missing details like a specific year even, location, even a clear series of events.
Now coming up in a minute, two people that know Judge Kavanaugh really well will join us tonight. Plus, we will expose what is a shameful political posturing by many in this country. Their blatant double standard, as we speak, many Democrats have horrific histories of sexual misconduct and they are revered by their colleagues. Some even still roaming the halls of Congress. We will name names tonight.
We'll also cover this week's big news on FISA abuse. The president ordering previously redacted FISA documents to be released and now, very interesting, you're seeing some of these deep state swap creatures, they are sweating and freaking out. We'll name names there, too.
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Sit tight, buckle up, it's time for our opening news opening monologue.
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HANNITY: You know, there are a few core principles that we really should all agree on that separates this country from a banana republic or a despotic regime. Let's see, free and fair elections, separation of powers, our great Constitution, the best ever given to man. And an impartial system of justice, that deems that every person is innocent until they are proven guilty.
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Sadly, tonight, we have many people in this country on the left putting politics above what is a core foundational principle. Now, by now, you probably know the story. Judge Brett Kavanaugh is facing one decades old sexual misconduct allegation, 36 years ago. Northern California, psychology professor, Professor Christine Ford.
Although the alleged incident occurred when they were both in high school in 1982, Ford made these accusations only recently, given few concrete details and naming one witness. Now, both the alleged witness and Kavanaugh categorically have now denied the charge. Law-enforcement are not investigating the decades-old charge and meanwhile, Judge Kavanaugh, his accuser, Professor Ford, have all been invited to appear rightly before Congress on Monday.
It's a very important serious allegation. Both sides should be given a serious opportunity to speak and be heard. Kavanaugh quickly agreed to testify under oath. Professor Ford, well, although her lawyer said she would appear in the beginning, well, now that she has been given an invitation, numerous invitations, she has not accepted the invitation.
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And we just have a letter sent by her lawyer to Senator Grassley of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she's now calling on the FBI to first investigate her charges as a, quote, first step. Now, of course, to get a full picture, we should also hear from others. This is 36 years ago. People that have known Kavanaugh throughout these many years, former high school students, former high school girlfriends, college girlfriends, they have all been outspoken about what they say is an impeccable character. That he has always been a gentleman.
Sixty-five women impressively have signed a letter supporting the judge. His former female colleagues in the Bush White House, they too have spoken out on his behalf. And mothers of the girls he coaches in basketball, fellow college and law school students, clerks of his and others that have worked and known him over the last 36 years all speak well to his character.
Now, tonight, I can report that none of this seems to interest the Democratic Party. Clearly, they are not interested in hearing the full truth. Clearly, they want a delay. Sadly, they want to disrupt and just block the Kavanaugh nomination, and even if that means giving up the presumption of innocence.
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They want to impugn his character, no due process, no trial, nothing. You don't believe me, we've got the tape. Take a look.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This woman is to be believed and you can believe Dr. Ford. This was attempted rape. And this is a woman who exhibits Dr. Ford's courage, the classic signs of post-traumatic stress.
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SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, D-CALIF.: I believe her. Listen, first of all, anyone 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. MAZIE 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.
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, D-CONN.: Let me say 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.
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HANNITY: It's another rush to judgment. No resumption of innocence. Mainstream media also carrying the water for the Democratic Party, well, they are toeing the party line as per usual.
Let's take a look.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have no knowledge whether Brett Kavanaugh --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It doesn't matter. I believe Christine Ford because -- to come forward, she has no -- there is no enticements for her to come forward.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the end of the week, if Judge Kavanaugh decides to go through this, it isn't worth it, it doesn't want -- maybe he can win, but he doesn't want an asterisk, I mean, it wouldn't surprise me if he chose to withdraw and chose to back down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reality is, I see it right now, probably, this nomination is cooked. And is he willing to accept that when the time comes, and withdraw it, or not?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to Judge Brett Kavanaugh not just on what he may or may have not done, but how he treats a woman's pain. And that is something I am going to be paying attention to on Monday. How does he respond to what is happening, whether or not he agrees that this happened with her, does he take her pain seriously?
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HANNITY: When you look at all of this, what do you see? Selective moral outrage. It's important to remember some key details.
First, Senator Feinstein and her fellow Democrats, they've had this allegation for several months. Professor Ford issued a letter to lawmakers back in July. Now, Feinstein, when she met with Kavanaugh privately for long periods of time, she never asked during any of these private lengthy meetings anything about this. And, by the way, she didn't ask Kavanaugh about the charge during the public hearings that we all watched, the circus that we watched.
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She didn't inform any of her Republican colleagues about the charge until the 11th hour, when a confirmation vote was set. And now, she even admitted today she can't say everything being alleged is truthful. A quick moment of truth. But she was excoriated immediately thereafter.
Watch this.
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SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN, D-CALIF.: I think it's really too bad that no one called her or called her lawyer. My understanding is she got emails. And this is a woman that I really believe has been profoundly impacted by this. Now, I can't say everything is truthful, I don't know. But I do know that they ought to contact her lawyers.
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HANNITY: Well, they did, while she checked in with Senator Grassley's office. She was now invited numerous times to appear before the committee before sending this letter tonight. Now, Feinstein after being excoriated by the base of the party, she tried to walk back those comments saying, oh, she believes Professor Ford is credible.
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But this is the opposite of what we believe in this country, the presumption of innocence, due diligence. And frankly, what you are saying and what you are observing and what you're watching is dirty political tricks at its worst.
We should listen to all sides. And then I trust the American people will come to the truth. I trust senators will make the right decision.
Earlier today, the president, he weighed in on this political tactics. Here's what he said.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He's an incredible individual, great intellect, great judge, impeccable history in every way, in every way.
I feel so badly for him that he is going through this to be honest with you. I feel so badly for him. This is not a man that deserves this. It should have been brought to the fore, it should have been brought up long ago and that's what you have hearings for. You don't wait until the hearing is over and then, all of a sudden, bring it up.
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I feel that the Republicans, and I can speak for myself, we should go through a process because there shouldn't even be a little doubt. There shouldn't be doubt. Again, they knew what they were doing. They should have done this a long time ago, three months ago. Not now.
But they did it now. So, I don't want to play into their hands.
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HANNITY: The president is right on every point he makes, which brings us to the second key detail you need to remember. Any of the outrage that you are seeing from Democrats over sexual misconduct, nobody else in the media will report this, this is what I mean by selected moral outrage.
There was no outrage over Senator Ted Chappaquiddick Kennedy. He was the lion of the Senate. Remember, he impugned the character of Judge Robert Bork. We had it last night. He successfully blocked Bork's Supreme Court nomination by slandering and smearing him.
He drove his car off of a bridge into shallow water. He left the scene of the crime and his young female passenger, not his wife, died in the submerged car. He went home to sleep that night. He never called authorities until the following day. He told nobody.
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That woman, she has a name, Mary Jo Kopechne, she could have been saved. Senator Kennedy was revered by Democrats as a hero.
There was no Democratic outrage over -- look at even Bill Clinton, for example. He was beloved by many people still in the Senate today, despite, of course, his known track record of sexual misconduct. Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick who accused him of rape. I interviewed her. I interviewed all those women. And that's when he was the attorney general of Arkansas.
Still, Senator Feinstein, Schumer, Dick Durbin, so many other Democrats enthusiastically supported Clinton, even voted against his impeachment.
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Then there is current U.S. Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. His ex-wife accused him of domestic abuse a few years after what they are claiming Judge Kavanaugh did, and even filed a restraining order against him. There's a new political ad out today. Look for yourself.
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AD ANNOUNCER: Now, Senator Sherrod Brown is facing his own #MeToo movement from his past. These court records show sworn evidence that his ex-wife accused him of abusing her. She said Brown assaulted her. A judge had to issue a restraining order.
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Later, she said Brown violated the court order, pushing, shoving and bullying her.
Brown claims it's a family matter, but his ex-wife, like other victims, has a right to be believed.
This senator had to resign when evidence emerged he mistreated women. Why is Senator Brown different?
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HANNITY: Now, Senator Brown and his ex-wife now get along and she supports him politically. Well, the record speaks for itself. That's the record.
And still, Feinstein is apparently unconcerned over those charges. We reached out to her office today for comments. Crickets.
And there's also DNC deputy chairman, this is now currently happening. Keith Ellison, he's running to be Minnesota's next attorney general. Ellison's ex-girlfriend recently accused him of serious physical and emotional abuse. Ellison went on to win his party's nomination from Minnesota attorney general.
Yesterday, she tweeted the DNC refused to believe her accusations and that they smeared, threatened and isolated her. We reached out to the DNC, we reached out to Ellison. We still have yet to get a comment.
This is a very same party that is now trying to block Kavanaugh's confirmation over decades old misconduct charges from 1982. People on the record, I believe her. Do you believe Keith Ellison's girlfriend? Did you believe Kathleen Willey and Juanita Broaddrick? This is the same party of Harvey Weinstein and Anthony Weiner, and Eliot Spitzer, and I can go on.
As I've said before, the charges are serious and we need to hear from Kavanaugh's accuser, Professor Ford. But when Democrats tell you they want to get to the truth, that they truly care about misconduct allegations, frankly, I think we have just proven they are simply lying -- selective moral outrage, rushing to judgment, no presumption of innocence.
The American people are smart and they see what's going on. Every American deserves this fundamental principle of presumption of innocence. You all deserve it. And Judge Kavanaugh deserves it, and the woman making the allegation deserves to be heard. These are serious allegations.
But what you are seeing is a political tactic that we have seen many times. They did it to Judge Bork. They did it to Judge Clarence Thomas and now, it's Judge Kavanaugh. So, you also have a right to be skeptical. Now, we're going to have more on this throughout the show.
But thanks to President Trump, we have important of elements on the deep state tonight. And we do have a disrupter in chief. We have somebody that's breaking dishes and exposing the deep state and now, that house of cards is coming crumbling down.
Yesterday, the White House announced the president is declassifying key FISA documents that should upend several key corrupt former officials. Now, we specifically talked about pages 10 through 12, 17 through 34 of the June 2017 FISA application on Carter Page. All FBI reports of Russia related interviews with Bruce Ohr, all FBI reports of interviews prepared in connection with Carter Page and FISA applications, well, we are now awaiting the release of these important documents which should rock the deep state to its core.
By the way, that means information, emails and texts, Comey, Page, Strzok, Andrew McCabe, Bruce Ohr, Christopher Steele -- let's see it all. Where is Spartacus when we need him?
Also tonight, Congressman Adam, well, shifty Schiff, he's worried that all his lies about phony rush of collusion will be exposed. He's calling the declassification an abusive power. Well, that this will put the country at risk and, quote, this is evidently of no consequence to a president who cares nothing about the country and everything about his narrow self- interest.
No, you are going to be exposed as a big, huge liar. We've got all your interviews, all 200,000 of them.
And meanwhile, former CIA Director Brennan also freaking out tonight feeling the heat, actually called on government bureaucrats to defy the president's orders. Obviously, he doesn't want the Constitution but we kind of knew that before, didn't we? Take a look.
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JOHN BRENNAN, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: I think Christopher Wray, director of FBI, and Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, as well as Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing this investigation, should push back against any directive that is going to have negative impact on our capabilities as well as the investigation. So, I think they should continue to push, push, push.
If Mr. Trump and the White House does not relent, well, then I think they have some decisions to make, whether or not they are just going to not follow that direction and be fired, or to resign. But if they really believe this is going to have serious impact on a national security, law enforcement and judicial process, they have an obligation since they took an oath of office to the Constitution of the United States, not to Mr. Trump to uphold their responsibilities and their agency and department's authorities.
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HANNITY: With all due respect, we don't need lectures on the constitution from him. And, by the way, he is feeling confident from a conspiracy TV, hate Trump NBC, other officials, including him, may be worried tonight, specifically anybody that signed off on those FISA applications against Carter Page, Jim Comey, Sally Yates, Rod Rosenstein, Andrew McCabe and the rest of them.
And by the way, McCabe, despite getting fired, and there is currently a grand jury convening at this moment about him from the FBI, waiting the result of this criminal investigation, he's going to cash in on his anti- Trump hatred. He has a brand-new book deal and he'll need the money because when the FISA documents are officially released, we should come full circle on his abuse of power, as well as others.
And, of course, without Donald Trump's win in 2016, we would know nothing, zero, about the widespread bureaucratic abuse of power. It has taken us almost a year to unpeel every layer of this onion, and the swamp in the sewer. A lot of work yet to be done.
Now, James O'Keefe, projectveritas.com, highlighted this in a brand-new undercover report. He filmed the State Department employee, an admitted democratic socialist, vowing to resist President Trump at every level. We are paying the salary of this person.
We haven't verified it but you can watch it for yourself.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I work for the State Department. I am a civil servant. I'm a union member and all that good stuff. Everything. Every level (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up.
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HANNITY: That's a first in a series and we will follow that very closely.
And the State Department confirmed his employment and said that they are taking the matter seriously. We'll have a lot more deep state news throughout the show.
Joining us now first with reaction to the latest Kavanaugh developments, American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp, Judicial Crisis Network chief counsel, Carrie Severino, and FOX News contributor Tammy Bruce.
Thank you all for being here.
You are shaking her head a lot during that monologue.
TAMMY BRUCE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: My god, I'll just tell you, the embarrassment of this. Look, I was president of L.A. NOW in the ‘90s. In 1992, I worked on the Feinstein --
HANNITY: Which is NOW, the National Organization for Women.
BRUCE: That's right. I worked on the Feinstein and Boxer's Senate campaigns, because, you know, after the Anita Hill situation, I was told we need fairness, we needed to be better, we needed to, you know, be something that the American people could trust. And here we are 26 years later and Feinstein is now wielding that hatchet.
This is not a search for truth. It is a desire for justice. This is a political assassination of Judge Kavanaugh. And the issue becomes here not -- this is what is awful for all of us, frankly, who have worked to have women be taken seriously on issues of violence against women, domestic violence, rape, you know, harassment, is that we have demanded, and said and asserted that women can be taken seriously. And they should be.
And yet now, we don't know what happened 36 years ago. But we do know what happened in July. And from that point forward, this has been a politicized framework. This woman's experience has been packaged as a weapon and this is what we have promised the American people as feminists, that that would not happen.
That you can trust women and that we want the system as it exists to simply hear us. We are not asking for the accused to have no rights, to be, you know, removed from the process of -- due process and from the rule of law, and yet now that is what every American is hearing.
It is an insult to every woman who's been sexually assaulted. For those of us who have had experiences like that, it is a remarkable dismissal of our life experience and what we have demanded from the system. And I'll just tell you, it is -- it's offensive.
I want her to get -- and it's good over 36 years that she's been in therapy, she made choices that were best for her. I'm not going to judge those choices. But right now, she's come forward, she should be heard. It should be under oath, so should the judge, and that is all we're asking right now.
HANNITY: Let me say, when a lawyer says that she's been the target of harassment and death threats -- by the way, all of those in the public, I know, I sympathize with her, and pray for her, I also pray for Judge Kavanaugh and his family.
We don't know -- and this is the heart of the matter, Carrie, we don't know what happened in 1982, but we ought to hear from everybody. That to me is a presumption of innocence and that is fundamental fairness. Take the chart seriously and then also look at the entire context and a texture that represents the last 36 years of Judge Kavanaugh's life. And then I think the American people will make a decision.
Now they have decided to raise the bar, we demand an FBI investigation first. Hasn't he been investigated by the FBI?
CARRIE SEVERINO, CHIEF COUNSEL, JUDICIAL CRISIS NETWORK: He absolutely has. I mean, this is moving the goal post one time after another. They said, first, after holding it all this time there were opportunities to do this in a private environment, a confidential, that would have spared Ms. Ford, the harassment that she experienced. Now, that would have been much better if Senator Feinstein had talked about this, for example, in the closed hearings for Judge Kavanaugh. That's what's designed to do.
There was also --
HANNITY: I think it's an important point. The Republican said, Mitch McConnell and Senator Grassley, it can be closed or it can be open, she doesn't have to go publicly with this -- and I would understand the stress of anybody.
SEVERINO: Senator Grassley is bending over --
HANNITY: But she'd been invited and she now has raised -- listen, let me play the tape of -- this is her attorney Katz on fake news CNN, but this is real, one of the rare few moments. But she said she would testify. Now, they're raising the bar, now, we demand this, and this, and this before testifying, even though she can do it privately or publicly. Let's roll that tape.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will your client Christine Ford be willing to testify in public to the Judiciary Committee?
BRENDA KATZ, ATTORNEY: The answer is yes.
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HANNITY: The answer is yes, but now the answer is no. Carrie, apparently, it's -- you've got to do A, B and C first.
SEVERINO: Well, and the Democrats have kind of invited this idea of this new FBI investigation. Here's what the normal process. You have an FBI investigation. That's been done on Judge Kavanaugh for six times, but it was done also, of course, once in conjunction with this nomination.
Then, if there is additional information, which obviously this is, there's an update on that. They had a call yesterday, for example. A confidential, you know, a classified call talking about that information --
HANNITY: How many Democrats are on that call?
SEVERINO: Zero. None of them showed. They're not interested in actually following the procedure. They're just inventing a new idea.
HANNITY: Let me go to Matt Schlapp.
And, Matt, this is an important point. This is selective outrage. Where is the outrage about Keith Ellison? Do we believe his former girlfriend? That's happening currently.
Sherrod Brown's wife documents, there are court documents, pretty harsh. I understand they've have gotten back -- they're not together, they are separate, but they have resolve some differences. But those charges stood.
So, why are they against him?
MATT SCHLAPP, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION CHAIRMAN: Look, there are nine members of the Supreme Court, some picked by Democratic presidents, some picked by Republican presidents. Why is it, after Clarence Thomas and now Brett Kavanaugh and other ones like Robert Bork, they were able to treat unfairly in the process. Why are the two of the nine having this over their heads, this idea that they acted inappropriate sexually?
You know why, because Tammy is right, because that charge works. And it tends to stick.
And I want to disagree with something that everyone has been saying about this. I believe we learned nothing on Monday. I know we say that people have the right to be heard, she had the right to participate in a very fair process with a lot of Democratic senators who would have helped her. She chose not to participate in the process because she wants to delay this vote to stop the nomination.
This is politics. This is not going to heal anything on Monday. And Republicans better hold the line.
HANNITY: You all have been amazing. Two women who know the judge, coming up next. Thank you for being with us.
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HANNITY: All right. For the latest on Kavanaugh nomination and what's going on, we bring FOX News chief national correspondent Ed Henry is with us tonight.
Ed, a lot of breaking news, the letter from the attorney. What's going on at the White House?
ED HENRY, FOX NEWS CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sean, what's interesting is the day started in fact with one lawyer for Dr. Ford saying that she was willing to testify. Republicans have given her the option to do it in public or private, on Monday.
A much different story breaking just in the last hour, another lawyer for Dr. Ford saying in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, she does not want to testify on Monday. She first wants, Dr. Ford does, an FBI investigation of this allegation from 36 years ago.
What's interesting is that aligns Dr. Ford with the Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer who for at least two days now has been calling for an FBI investigation, even though there's already been six FBI background checks of Judge Kavanaugh for various nominations. President Trump today said the FBI does not want to get involved.
And so, the bottom line is Judge Kavanaugh was here today for the second straight day. He was behind closed doors getting ready for his own testimony. He wants to give sworn testimony, that they say here at the White House, he'll do it any day of this week, but he's ready for next Monday. He wants to deny that there was any kind of sexual assault.
Also interesting that the president stood behind his nomination today at a news conference and said that he feels bad about how Judge Kavanaugh, his wife, his children have been treated.
Kavanaugh's friend meanwhile, Mark Judge, said again today he has no memory of the alleged event, but has RSVP'd no as well to the Senate committee because he does not want to speak publicly other than saying, quote, "I never saw Brett act in the manner that Dr. Ford described."
So, that from the only eyewitness that we are aware of from this alleged incident. Now Chuck Schumer, I mentioned, he wants the FBI to launch this investigation. Republicans dismiss that, saying he just want to delay all this until after the midterms. Here is the senator as well as the president, watch.
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SCHUMER: The FBI should be given time to reopen its background check investigation into Judge Kavanaugh.
TRUMP: When Senator Feinstein sat with Judge Kavanaugh for a long time, a long, long meeting. She had this letter, why didn't she bring it up?
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HENRY: Now Senator Feinstein defended herself this afternoon saying that she kept that letter private because Dr. Ford wanted to remain anonymous for some time. But the other thing that Feinstein said that's getting a lot of attention tonight, as she cannot said, among other things, she cannot say for sure that everything is truthful in terms of what has been said by Dr. Ford.
Now they are trying to clarify that in Feinstein's office tonight saying that basically she was saying that she wasn't raising doubts about Dr. Ford but was instead saying it needs to be investigated by the FBI. But that comment from Feinstein saying she's not sure everything is truthful is going to get a lot of attention over the next few days. Sean?
HANNITY: All right. Ed Henry at the White House tonight, thank you.
Joining us now, more supporters of Judge Kavanaugh who have worked with him in the past and known him for decades, Monica Mastal is with us and Leslie Fahrenkopf Foley is with us. Welcome. Good to see you. You knew him at Yale?
LESLIE FAHRENKOPF FOLEY, JUDGE BRETT KAVANAUGH'S COLLEAGUE: I did. We've known each other for over 30 years. We've been very close friends since meeting at Yale.
HANNITY: Now this is what I've was saying. Ok, it's a serious charge, she can testify and now they are changed the rules, they are raising the bar. It seems like they don't really want her -- for some reason, I don't know why, to testify. He said immediately it's untrue. The one witness that she mentioned was in the room said it's untrue. How should we approach something like this?
FOLEY: Well, the processes up to the judiciary committee, but all I can say is that I've known Brett for so many years, he is the most honest, kind, respectful decent human being that I know, and I was absolutely shocked by these allegations.
HANNITY: One allegation.
FOLEY: Yes. The--
HANNITY: Nineteen eighty-two. Should we put anything into the fact that there are no details, she doesn't remember the years, the place or the location? They are lawyers, that's what I meant.
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FOLEY: I don't know her, and I can't comment on what she said other than to say that what she has alleged is completely inconsistent with the Brett Kavanaugh that I know.
HANNITY: And that's the thing, Monica, that I have been saying. If we are going to believe in equal justice under the law, the -- I think the core principle in this country is the presumption of innocence. I believe strongly in that.
You see so many Democrats that race out there and say I believe Professor Ford. And my question to you, Monica is, we also have to -- you are one of the 65 women that knew him and wrote a letter about who he was at this time in his life. I believe your sister dated him if I'm not mistaken.
We have people that also went to college obviously, like Leslie who is here tonight. We have people that went to law school with him, we have people that clerk with him, we have people that work with him in the Bush White House, I think everyone should be heard.
And then we will get a clear picture of his life, won't we?
MONICA MASTAL, BRETT KAVANAUGH'S FORMER COLLEAGUE: Yes. I believe that all the women who have signed this letter have come out and said that they still have the utmost confidence in Brett and that he was in high school as he is now as the women throughout his life have testified to his character and his behavior. And he should be given that opportunity to be heard. You know, he has denied this allegation, and he should be given the opportunity to be heard as well.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: You know him back at time, what was he like back then?
MASTAL: So I did not go to high school with him, he was in high school with my siblings.
HANNITY: Right. Did he date your sister?
MASTAL: I think they went to a dance or two together, yes.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: OK. I don't know if you call that -- dates made by the way as I understand.
MASTAL: I don't know if it was dating. I don't know if it was dating, but you know, they are very good friends. Probably saw each other most weekend. So, very good friends and to this day, very good friends.
HANNITY: Yes. What was the thing if you look at his life, and every group all throughout 36 years, this is the one inconsistent side. And then, the timing of it, this was known to the Democrats in July. The Democrats are silenced on people like Keith Ellison and others, but that's recent. Do you see politics here?
FOLEY: I fear that politics is definitely--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Scary when you consider the severity of something like this, right?
FOLEY: So true.
HANNITY: I trust the American people, though. And if Professor Ford and Judge Kavanaugh testify and all the people that know him all of that time testify, I think the American people can sort it out. I have faith in them.
Very nice to meet you. Thank you for coming on. I appreciate it.
FOLEY: Thank you.
HANNITY: Monica, thank you so much, too. We appreciate it. When we come back, Kristin Fisher live from Washington, where things stand as it relates to the FISA documents the president declassified yesterday. Sara Carter, Gregg Jarrett and much more. A lot of breaking news tonight. Thanks for being with us.
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HANNITY: All right. Yesterday we learned that President Trump ordered the declassification of FISA documents and so much more. This could be the end for a lot of people, and put the whole story together.
Here with a live report from Washington tonight is our own Kristin Fisher. Kristin, the latest.
KRISTIN FISHER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sean, as you said, it's only been one day since President Trump ordered the declassification of several key documents related to the special counsel's probe. But already, he said that he'd consider declassifying even more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: What I want, is I want total transparency. This is a witch hunt, the Republicans are seeing it, the Democrat know it's a witch hunt too but they don't want to admit because that's not good politics for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FISHER: So intelligence officials are now scrambling to comply with yesterday's order that includes FISA warrants and unredacted text messages from former FBI director James Comey, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, and Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.
But critics say their release could jeopardize national security. Today top Democrats on Capitol Hill sent a letter to the director of national intelligence, the FBI director and the deputy attorney general, saying, quote, "The action President Trump has taken to direct your agencies to selectively disclose classified information that he believes he can manipulate publicly to undermine the legitimacy and credibility of the special counsel's investigation is a brazen abuse of power."
They also said in that letter that they want a briefing before those documents are disclosed to the White House or anyone else. Sean.
HANNITY: All right, Kristin Fisher in Washington, thank you for that report. Here with more reaction, author of the number one New York Times bestseller "The Russia Hoax," Fox News legal analyst, Gregg Jarrett, and also Fox News investigative reporter, Sara Carter.
This is now led to where we are today, it has been a long process. Sara, we always start with you in the news. I keep hearing that the Department of Justice, the FBI, are in a little bit of a freak out mode. We saw that from Brennan and Adam Schiff is losing his mind because he will be exposed as a huge liar.
So, are they slow walking this, are they trying to defy the president, will they listen to Brennan who is telling people don't listen to the president who the constitutional authority to do this?
SARA CARTER, FOX NEWS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: This is extraordinarily dangerous rhetoric, Sean. I mean, coming out John Brennan's mouth, Andrew McCabe with his new book by the way, which is titled "The FBI" basically protecting us from terrorists and Trump.
I mean, this type of rhetoric is so dangerous. I mean, this doesn't appear to be a witch hunt, it appears to be a silent coup. I don't know how to say it in any other word, they will try to slow this, they will try to drag it but the president has issued an immediate order to have those documents declassified. They already have them--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: But Sara, let me -- I don't like to interrupt normally but this is important. If we now know that the highest levels of the DOJ, the FBI, and the intel community, not rank-and-file, which is so important for people to understand, we know they abuse their power. We know they have done it, we have the evidence. What will this show when we finally get a hold of this information, the FISA warrants, the 302's, the gang of eight, all of the texts and e-mails of Comey, Page, Strzok, McCabe, Ohr, and Steele, what are we going to learn?
CARTER: I think we are going to learn that there was an extraordinary abuse of our constitutional rights, a malfeasance against the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the secret court in an effort to spy on Carter Page just to get close to Trump. I think what we're going to discover is that they did tell--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: And destroy him and prevent him from getting elected--
CARTER: -- and destroy him and prevent him from being president.
HANNITY: -- before and after the election.
CARTER: Absolutely before and after the election. I have been told that there is information in those documents that none of us are aware of and that will blow our minds once it comes out because it's not extraordinary.
HANNITY: I have heard that, I have not seen them. Gregg Jarrett, you a very interesting strong column out tonight. Rod Rosenstein defies President Trump's order which Brennan is encouraging people to do, to declassify these documents, he should be fired. But it's more than that, isn't it?
GREGG JARRETT, FOX NEWS LEGAL ANALYST: He should be fired for rank insubordination. You cannot defy a superior officer as an inferior officer of the Department of Justice.
And it wasn't just Brennan who said it today, but according to Adam Schiff, Christopher Wray, the FBI director, as well as Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general said Trump's order crosses the red line. What does that mean? Does that mean they will defy him?
HANNITY: What is that not?
JARRETT: Or does it mean that they will slow walk the release of these documents, hoping that they can delay it until the midterms and Congress will change hands? Rosenstein has every motive in the world to try to hide and conceal these documents because they may incriminate him.
HANNITY: But won't he others and saying I didn't know?
JARRETT: Not good enough. He's on record in saying that--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: It's who signed it.
JARRETT: -- if you affix your signature to this you are vouching for the authenticity and the veracity of these documents. And we now know by virtue of the release of some of the documents that this was unverified, uncorroborated and the federal regulations say you may never go to a FISA judge with information that's unverified.
HANNITY: All of this is fascinating and twisted at the same time, Sara, because this is Hillary's bought and paid for Russian lies, that the government used top, again, intel officials, FBI, DOJ, that they used to secure a FISA warrant, never verify and corroborating any of it, which they should, to spy on the Trump campaign.
And then they are using it as a weapon to leak to get Mueller appointed because Lisa Page testified that they didn't have any Russian collusion after nine long months of investigation. Nothing.
CARTER: But they were still searching for a crime, Sean, and that's why they were leaking to the media. So they had this pretest, right? They were leaking information that they got from an uncorroborated dossier by a foreign agent from a foreign country based on Russian lies, and then they would leak it to the media.
And then all of a sudden when these stories would come out like they verify the FISA on Carter Page which by the way is a crime because that's considered classified, then they would say, the story is out now so now we can go even further and interview more people in the Trump campaign.
Although it was all based on lies from the beginning, it's almost like we are living in an upside down world. I mean, how is it possible that another campaign, Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee could pay for this.
HANNITY: Gregg.
CARTER: And then we are investigating the president.
(CROSSTALK)
JARRETT: One other point, President Obama signed an executive order that said to the FBI, DOJ and other agents, you may never misuse classification status to hide your own malfeasance, embarrassment and lawlessness.
And we will find out, I guarantee you, that that's exactly what the FBI and the DOJ was doing and they are still trying to conceal it.
HANNITY: "The Illicit Scheme to Clear Hillary Clinton and Frame Donald Trump, the Russian Hoax." It's all true.
JARRETT: It is indeed and the more evidence that comes out, the more it substantiates the thesis.
HANNITY: Is it a thesis or it is malfeasance.
JARRETT: It's a fact, it's well known fact.
HANNITY: Gregg Jarrett, thank you. Sara Carter, thank you. Without you two we wouldn't be where we are tonight. Also John Solomon a big part of this. He sat down with the president with brand-new details in an exclusive interview about this topic and much more. We'll break it here, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: All right. The Hill's John Solomon he just sat down just, well, literally two hours ago with President Trump for an exclusive interview and they spoke about him declassifying the FISA documents, Mueller's probe, Kavanaugh's confirmation process and so much more.
I don't even know where to begin, I'll let you report and we will all decide but this is an exclusive interview that he gave you, what, 45 minutes for The Hill?
JOHN SOLOMON, VICE PRESIDENT, THE HILL: It was, it was extraordinary in the Oval Office. And first, Sean, just one thing an impression before we get to the news. We hear all the stories of the White House being in disarray, chaos, yelling and screaming.
I was in the Oval Office for 45 minutes, the president couldn't be calmer, the organization couldn't be more functional, and he was very measured on how he answered questions. Very detailed. He had a good grasp of the details of the Russian investigation and anything we ask him.
It was really impression. So, different from the reports that you see in the other news media news organizations today.
But let me tell you the news. He said today that the effort to expose a corrupt FBI investigation may turn out to be one of the crowning achievements of his presidency. That what went on was a ruse. He changed his wording, he'd been calling it a witch hunt.
Remember, Mueller's witch hunt? Today he used Gregg Jarrett's words, it's a hoax, it was a fraud. We deceive a FISA court. He made some really strong statements about the judges. I don't know yet, he said, but I fear they didn't do their job and maybe they're doing it now, we got to give them the benefit of the doubt.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Meaning the FISA courts?
SOLOMON: Yes. First time he's ever talked about that, right? But here's one of the biggest ones. We've sat here for two years laboring over the idea of was it obstruction when he fired Comey, right? And of course a lot of people said it was within constitutional power.
Here's the news he made today. He said he wanted to fire Comey back in 2016, he should have done it. He got talked of it, it was the biggest mistake. He didn't fire him and made that wasn't the first time he was thinking about it. He thought about it in the summer of 2016, he wanted to get rid of that guy because he didn't like the way he handled the Clinton e-mail case.
All of this has been under wraps, we have known this, it puts an entirely different perspective on the things the president did in his first months in office, really extraordinary.
HANNITY: You know, we have been unpeeling an onion, and you've been a big part of it. Gregg has been a big part of it. Sara has been a big part of it.
SOLOMON: Yes.
HANNITY: And there's been many others, I can't mention them all. I think he is right. Is he -- did he also talked about the classifying and unredacting other stuff?
SOLOMON: He did.
HANNITY: He did?
SOLOMON: Yes. Here's the most important thing. He hasn't even read these documents, he's taking a leap of faith of the American public will appreciate the transparencies. I haven't read of them but I'm certain from the members of Congress I've talked to who have done their work and done their due diligence, it's going to show that we deserve the American public.
That this was a hoax and not a real investigation meant to distract my presidency. But he's a man very comfortable with his decision to declassify all that Brennan stuff rolls off his sleeve like nothing.
He believes this is the right thing to do. And he believes when we see these documents we're going to find out the FBI did not act in the best interest of the United States. That was his words and what he came away with today when he we talked to him.
HANNITY: There seems to be a lot of fear and we mentioned this with Sara in terms of Brennan and McCabe with his new book, really terrorism and Trump. Really?
SOLOMON: Yes.
HANNITY: It's sad.
SOLOMON: Yes.
HANNITY: This is one of the greatest institutions. I've said this many times. A lot of my family is in law enforcement, my mom was a prison guard for 25 years, my dad family court probation, so many in our family, cops, NYPD, two FBI guys were deity. And this is not rank-and-file.
SOLOMON: No.
HANNITY: But what they did is abuse their power. Is he confident that we do get to the truth?
SOLOMON: He does. He had a level of confidence and a level of composure that this is the right thing to do. And when we're done we're all going to agree what happened here. He said privately Democrats are now telling him you've been disserved on some of the stuff.
He's a man that is on a mission to clear his name but also to get the American people to understand what the FBI did wrong and how to make sure it never happens again.
HANNITY: John Solomon, it's on Thehill.com. We'll link to Hannity.com. Great job, 45 minutes of exclusive interview with the president.
SOLOMON: Thank you.
HANNITY: And he'll have all the details for you. Thanks for being with us.
When we come back, new low for Hollywood. The latest attack on Christianity. Sad. We have the tapes, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: So the Emmy's pat yourself on the back for last night. You weren't the only ones that didn't watch the awards show at its lowest ratings ever on top of last year's lowest ratings ever. And it's not surprising given what the co-host had to say about, well, winners that thank Jesus. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, THE EMMY AWARDS, NATAS/NBC)
MICHAEL CHE, CO-HOST: You know, my mother is not watching.
COLIN JOST, CO-HOST: What?
CHE: Well, she said she doesn't like watching white awards shows because you guys don't thank Jesus enough. That's true. The only people -- the only white people that thank Jesus are Republicans and ex- crack heads. So.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Nobody watched. Don't worry. Let not your heart be troubled. The news continues. Laura Ingraham on this busy news night takes over and busy tonight (ph) with the swamp.
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