Kasich: My message and record works with GOP and Democrats
GOP candidate reacts to N.H. results on 'Hannity'
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," February 10, 2016. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN HANNITY, HOST (voice-over): Tonight...
DONALD TRUMP, R, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We want to thank the people of New Hampshire, right? Do we love the people of New Hampshire?
HANNITY: After a big win in New Hampshire, Donald Trump sets his sights on South Carolina. Can he keep the momentum going?
Then, Governor John Kasich places second in the Granite State.
GOV. JOHN KASICH, R-OHIO, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You just wait. Let me tell you. There's so much going to to happen. If you don't have a seatbelt, go get one!
HANNITY: The 2016 Republican contender joins us tonight with reaction.
And Marco Rubio stumbles in New Hampshire but promises to fix his mistakes.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, R-FLA., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I did not do well on Saturday night, so listen to this. That will never happen again!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
HANNITY: The Florida senator will be here to explain just how he'll do it.
All of that, plus 2016 Republican presidential candidate Dr. Benjamin Carson.
"Hannity" starts right here, right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HANNITY: And welcome to "Hannity." And tonight, the race for the White House now heads to South Carolina. Donald Trump has plenty of momentum heading into the Palmetto State after a big double-digit win in New Hampshire.
Now, Trump gave a passionate speech to his supporters last night. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, R, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are going to start winning again. We don't win anymore as a country. We don't win on trade. We don't win with the military. We can't beat ISIS! We don't win with anything. We are going to start winning again, and we're going to win so much! You are going to be so happy!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: And then earlier tonight, Trump told our colleague Greta Van Susteren why he thinks his message is resonating so well with voters. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We've really hit a chord, and you know, we're talking about border security. We're talking about the military, the vets, and you know, things that are pretty generic to no matter where you are.
I'm leading over the nation, throughout the nation, I'm leading, and that's a great honor. And I don't think too much, really strong military, great trade deals. You know, something I've been talking about right from the beginning. We want really great trade deals, which we don't have now. We lose hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars on trade. I mean, just with China alone, we lose that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, here with reaction tonight, the author of the best- selling book "The Clintons" War on Women" Roger Stone, from The Washington Times, Charles Hurt, Republican strategist Mercedes Schlapp.
The big story, Roger, to me is this is definitely an insurgency year. Trump wins and wins big in New Hampshire. You have Ted Cruz in Iowa. But I'm flipping the dial last night and watching the media spin Trump's big victory into something less than it is was almost comical at times. And from my vantage point, I think the media is trying to downplay something that they're just missing. Your thoughts.
ROGER STONE, "THE CLINTONS' WAR ON WOMEN" AUTHOR: Yes, I think the Trump phenomena is -- it's a natural uprising at the grass roots. I mean, frankly, I don't think the ground game mattered in New Hampshire. Donald Trump won on the strength of his message and his magnetism and his can-do attitude and the fact that he is a total outsider. He is not beholden to any special interests, and he is not tied to any of the mistakes of the past.
This is an anti-elite, populist conservative movement, and it's going to sweep South Carolina, as well.
HANNITY: Yes, I mean, going into South Carolina, he's got a 16-point lead, according to the RealClearPolitcs average. I would assume that number may go up. He should have a bump out of New Hampshire.
Charlie Hurt, a great column by our friend and colleague, Byron York. And he talks about a meeting among New Hampshire establishment elites back in January. And as he quoted one of them as saying about Trump, I don't see it, I don't feel it, I don't hear it, and I spend part of every day with Republican voters.
How is it possible for the establishment in New Hampshire to be that out of touch with what happened and what was about to happen and then did happen last night?
CHARLES HURT, WASHINGTON TIMES: Yes. You know, Sean I think that it's -- not only is it just sort of a blindness to it and a blindness to what their -- the voters they supposedly are representing or trying to represent what they believe and their frustrations and things like that, but it's also -- I think it's willful. I think it's honestly they're terrified of what they see and what they hear. They're terrified with how dissatisfied especially conservatives, especially Republican voters are with the way Republicans, and obviously Democrats, as well -- the way everyone in Washington -- the way this town runs.
And I think in Iowa and also in New Hampshire, and obviously here in Washington, D.C., I think the establishment folks are just terrified, and they -- it's like they put their head in the sand. And you know, we saw it after Iowa, where, you know, Trump came out of Iowa with a tremendous second place finish in Iowa. And the way the media spun that and the establishment spun that, they just pretended it didn't happen! They pretended he didn't do well. And then last night, it was like -- it was -- it was like they were totally unprepared for it!
HANNITY: Yes. All right, Mercedes, let me go over some of the numbers with you. Trump won among men, he won among women, he won every age group. He won among every ideology. He won among people who've gone to college and people that have not gone to college. He won big among men, 3 to 1, by women 2 to 1, among voters under 30, 2 to 1. And he won 40 percent of those who hadn't attended a college, and a third of those that did.
I mean, pretty overwhelming victory. Do you see this carrying into these other states?
MERCEDES SCHLAPP, REPUBLICAN STRATEGISTS: Well, not only is it overwhelming, Sean, it's historic what we saw in New Hampshire, where not only on the Republican side but on the Democrat side, too, we saw two outsiders basically take over. And what does it show? We see the weakening in our two-party system, basically.
And here's what we're seeing. His momentum -- Trump's momentum will carry into South Carolina, but let me tell you Ted Cruz is on his tail because he is going to be able to -- he has a very strong ground game there. He has strong data analysis in that area. He is also courting Christian voters, which we know make up a large portion of that electorate in South Carolina.
So he -- Trump is going in strong, but there you've got Ted Cruz on his coattails. And don't discount Marco Rubio or even Jeb Bush. They're all in play at this point. But again, the momentum is on Trump's side.
HANNITY: All right, let me -- as we lay out and look at the South Carolina electorate, you got 66 percent that identify themselves as evangelicals, especially in the middle and northwestern part of the state, heavy evangelicals numbers that are up there.
Now, I agree with your analysis, Mercedes. I think this is going to come down to Trump versus Cruz, and both -- I think last night was a win for Cruz in the sense he spent little time and little money in the state of New Hampshire, and this being an insurgency year, he came in third.
We have the battle of the ads has already begun. Let's play Trump's ad and we'll follow it up with Cruz's ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What kind of man talks from both sides of his mouth on amnesty for illegals on national television and still denies it, who took more than a million dollars in sweetheart loans from Wall Street banks and fails to disclose them, as required by law, who runs a campaign accused of dirty tricks that tried to sabotage Ben Carson with false rumors? Ted Cruz, the worst kind of Washington insider who just can't be trusted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, I got the Trump action figure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No way. It's huge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does he do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He pretends to be a Republican.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) bail-outs for the banks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Too big to fail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I gave money to Pelosi, Reid and Anthony Weiner.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) I'll give you money to be my friend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Check out my house, Mr. Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a lousy house. I'm going to take your house with eminent domain and park my limos there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eminent domain!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We wouldn't tolerate these values in our children. Why would we want them in a president?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, is that a preview of coming attractions, Roger Stone, for the next 10 days?
STONE: Yes, without question. In all honesty, I think that ad by the Trump campaign is a masterpiece because Ted Cruz is not who he tells you who he is, and I think it will be devastating.
I'll say one other thing. Unlike New Hampshire, unlike Iowa, I know the people running the ground game in South Carolina for Donald Trump. They're acolytes of the late Lee Atwater. They are real professionals. They have excellent targeting. They know what they are doing. Trump will not be outcampaigned in South Carolina, not at all.
HANNITY: So you're saying he won't make the Iowa ground game mistake. You think he has a ground game in South Carolina.
STONE: Absolutely not. The folks running the Palmetto State for Donald Trump are first rate operatives. They know what they're doing. They're deeply experienced. And they're ahead of the game organizationally.
HANNITY: Charlie, who wins the battle of the beginning of the ad wars here?
HURT: Well, I think that any time -- you know, I think the eminent domain attack on Donald Trump is fair game, and I think that -- you know, it's something I have strong disagreements with him about.
But if you're a Republican attacking him, trying to explain to voters about eminent domain and where he got it wrong and -- you're losing that. You're losing that argument.
But the other big difference you got to remember with South Carolina and Iowa, people -- you know, the media love to point out that Donald Trump underperformed in Iowa, you know, underperformed below what the polls said he would. You got to remember it's a caucus and the caucuses are so different from a straight Republican primary.
HANNITY: Well, it's a primary in South Carolina but it's an open primary, meaning that Democrats and Republicans can cross over.
HURT: And that -- but that helps -- that only helps Donald Trump in a place like South Carolina.
HANNITY: Mercedes, do you agree with that? And do you think it really is coming down to Trump versus Cruz in South Carolina?
SCHLAPP: I think it's coming down to Trump versus Cruz, but I do want to say this next debate is going to be very important for Marco Rubio in particular in making sure he doesn't make another mistake because he's hoping to then build his support in South Carolina in that establishment lane, right?
HANNITY: Yes.
SCHLAPP: But right now, what we're seeing is this fight to see who's the purest conservative. So Ted Cruz came out today saying, you know, I'm the real conservative. I'm the one that can beat Donald Trump. And that's where he's -- where he's going with his campaign.
So it's going to be very interesting to see how this shakes out with Donald Trump, I think with great momentum at this point. But again, Ted Cruz really can build out his Christian evangelical base in that area, and it's just going to be a real tight race there.
HANNITY: So in South Carolina, more representative maybe what a New Hampshire is. But Roger's saying, Well, Trump's not going to make the same mistake in organization and ground game.
All right, last question. Roger Stone, you have started a super-PAC, am I correct -- I think it's a super-PAC -- against Hillary. And it talks -- the women that have -- that Donald Trump said have been abused by Bill Clinton and enabled by Hillary Clinton.
Just tell us real quickly -- we have about 30 seconds -- what it's about.
STONE: Sure. I think it's very important that the women who have been victimized by both Bill and Hillary Clinton be allowed to tell their story. They were suppressed in the 1980s. Their story wasn't told by very few journalists. One of the few was you, Sean. So now I say let the women tell their own story, and as Hillary says, let the voters decide.
HANNITY: You know, and there's been a whole generation of people voting now that don't know the name Kathleen Willey or Paula Jones or Gennifer Flowers or -- they may know Monica Lewinsky or Juanita Broaddrick.
So all right, guys. Good to see you all. Appreciate it. Thank you.
HURT: Thank you, Sean.
HANNITY: And coming up next tonight right here on "Hannity"...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOHN KASICH, R-OHIO, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You just wait. Let me tell you, there's so much going to happen, if you don't have a seatbelt, go get one. We're going to shake this country!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Ohio Governor Kasich riding high into South Carolina after a very strong second place showing in New Hampshire. The presidential contender will be here next to weigh in on the Republican race.
Then later tonight, Senator Marco Rubio, Dr. Ben Carson -- they're looking to rebound after last night's results. Both candidates will join us for reaction.
Plus, you won't believe Hillary Clinton's new tactic to try and fight off socialist senator Bernie Sanders.
That and more tonight right here on "Hannity."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity." Ohio governor John Kasich surprised some political pundits and stormed into second place in the New Hampshire Republican primary. So can he use last night's results to propel his campaign to victory in South Carolina and states beyond?
Joining us now to respond, the man himself, 2016 Republican presidential candidate, the governor of the Buckeye State, the great state of Ohio, Governor John Kasich.
Congratulations, Governor.
GOV. JOHN KASICH, R-OHIO, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It was very good, Sean. We're very, very pleased with where we are.
HANNITY: Strategically, I was kind of giving you a little bit of a hard time because you didn't spend a lot of time in Iowa, weren't expecting good results there, but you did spend the time in New Hampshire. According to the exit polls, you finished above major candidates that were late deciders, concentrated among moderate upscale independent-leaning Republicans turned off by Cruz, Rubio and Trump.
What does that mean to you?
KASICH: Well, I haven't seen all the exit polls, Sean, but look, we finished a very solid second. We labored in obscurity for months, and I believe that the message that I have, along with my record of balancing budgets, cutting taxes both in Washington, getting us to balance, surpluses, big job growth, the same in Ohio -- I believe that that message works, and I not only think it works with Republicans, but I think come the fall, I think those blue-collar Democrats who can't even believe their party is moving towards some socialist philosophy -- I think I can get them in the fold, as well.
So we're here in South Carolina. We'll work hard here. We're very plucky in terms of being a team. We're scrappy. We're going to and move around here, and then, you know, we're going to move on.
And it's -- I can't wait to get to the deep South and places like Mississippi, Alabama. We have the governor of Alabama, Trent Lott in Mississippi. We're building things in Tennessee. And then, you know, at some point, we get to Michigan. You know, I'm looking forward to going to Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania. These are places where I can do well.
So Sean, we just keep plugging, one foot in front of the other and just keep doing our job.
HANNITY: Flipping around the dials last night -- and everyone likes to get their snapshot analysis, and meanwhile, you came in second in a very crowded field, and obviously a good night for you.
And people say, Oh, but he can't do well in South Carolina, and already, your fellow candidates are attacking you with that. What's your answer to that?
KASICH: Well, first of all, my fellow candidates are attacking me because they want to stop me. If I wasn't serious, they -- hey Sean, look. You came out to Columbus, did a wonderful interview, not an easy one, a tough interview with me on July 21st when I announced.
Most people that you and I know said, He'll never raise any money. And then they said, He'll never get to the debates. Then they said, He'll never get to New Hampshire. Then I finish second. Now they say, Oh, well, you know, that doesn't mean anything. We got to -- you know, he'll fail in the next place.
HANNITY: Yes, I don't like those people either.
KASICH: Maybe I will, but then again...
(CROSSTALK)
KASICH: Maybe I will, but then again, maybe I won't, you know?
HANNITY: If we had a crystal ball, we'd be betting on all this and following the Vegas line and making a lot of money.
You know, you said something, though, that really interested me. And maybe because it's because I'm such -- you know, I live, eat, breathe and die politics a lot and what's happening, and I was there the night that Newt Gingrich got elected and you were the House Budget Committee chair and on the House Intelligence Committee, if I remember correctly. And I remember when you put together that budget and how controversial it was and how the government shut down twice...
KASICH: Yes.
HANNITY: ... and Bill Clinton was the president. And you did, as budget chair, give us a balanced budget and a surplus. And you said to me, Most people don't know who I am. Do you really think that people are just getting to know you now?
KASICH: Oh, absolutely. Sean, I mean, it's hard for us to believe, but I know that it's true. That's why we never ran high in the national polls. We're going to rise in the national polls now because now people, when they see me, they know my name is not Governor of Ohio. It's actually John Kasich.
And you know, a couple more days of this, and they'll know it's not Kasich, that it's Kasich. I mean, it's just the way it is. And you know, when you're a Midwesterner, when you are the governor of Ohio, people don't come there to cover you, I mean, no in any sort of saturated way. I'm not in the New York media market. I'm not...
HANNITY: All right, so use this...
KASICH: ... in the LA -- you know.
HANNITY: All right, so you now you got a higher profile out of New Hampshire. So tell the story as budget chair and tell the story as governor for the people that don't know you.
KASICH: Well, we balanced the budget in Washington for the first time since we walked on the moon. And when I left Washington, we had a $5 trillion surplus. We cut the capital gains tax, and we were just doing great economically until the Republicans in Washington spent all the money.
And then I went into Ohio. We were $8 billion in the hole. We had lost 350,000 jobs. Everything was rickety and rockety. I cut taxes more than any governor, $5 billion, in the country. We now have grown 400,000 private sector jobs. Our credit is secure. I mean, our pensions and -- are secure and our credit is rock-solid.
And I want to take the same philosophy of changing the way in which we get regulated so we don't kill small businesses, cut taxes for individuals and corporations, including a capital gains tax of 15 percent and bringing those corporate profits back to America without double taxation, and a plan to get us to the balanced budget by restraining all non-defense discretionary, with more money for defense and slowing the growth of Medicare from 7 to 5 and Medicaid from 5 to 3. It gets us to a balanced budget, and in the process, what I'm most interested in is it will unleash the American economy and people will have jobs.
HANNITY: Last question. The analysis last night -- and I'm only telling you what others are saying. Don't jump through the camera and beat me up here -- was that you have now moved into that spot that others wanted, the so-called establishment. Does that word "establishment" bother you that people tried to put on you last night.
KASICH: Yes. Yes, because I'm not establishment. Sean, I make the establishment upset. When I'm introducing budgets against a Republican president, when I'm saying if we're going to reform welfare for poor people, we ought to reform it for the -- for corporate welfare, when I went into Ohio and told the special interests to get in line, either get on the bus with me to solve Ohio's problems or you're going to get run over by the bus, I make the establishment upset.
I was a cheap hawk. I reformed the Pentagon at the same time we were building a stronger defense system. So Sean, you know, it's really interesting to call me an establishment. If you ask the press that covered me in Washington, they'd burst out laughing because I can get along with the establishment, but I'm not part of it. So that's kind of the way it is.
HANNITY: All right, congratulations on last night. Governor John Kasich, appreciate your time.
KASICH: Thank you, Sean, very much.
HANNITY: And up next tonight right here on "Hannity"...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, R-FLA., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I did not -- I did not do well on Saturday night, so listen to this. That will never happen again!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Senator Rubio doing something, well, somewhat unusual, admitting he made a mistake before last night's primary, but he promises to do better in South Carolina. Up next, he's here to explain.
And later -- it was not a great night for Dr. Benjamin Carson in the Granite State, but he's confident about the campaign going forward. He'll tell us why straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, R-FLA., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want you to understand something. Our disappointment tonight is not on you. It's on me. It's on me. I did not -- I did not do well on Saturday night, so listen to this. That will never happen again!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, that was Senator Marco Rubio taking ownership for his disappointing finish in last night's New Hampshire primary. The Florida senator was in South Carolina campaigning earlier today, but he traveled back to our nation's capital for an important Senate vote this evening on North Korea-related sanctions.
Joining us now from Washington is the man himself, 2016 Republican presidential candidate, Florida senator Marco Rubio. First let me say, it's honestly really refreshing for a politician to say, It's on me. And I really give you a lot of credit for that.
What did you mean, though, "it's on me"? What about the debate is on you?
RUBIO: Yes. Well, look, my people in New Hampshire worked so hard, and I wanted them to know that our disappointing finish -- we wanted to do better than we did in New Hampshire. We would have done better than we did. It wasn't their fault.
You know, I made a decision on the stage on Saturday night at the debate, and it created a problem for us. We couldn't -- it created a distraction that we couldn't spend last 72 hours closing our campaign. And it was my fault because of the decision I made.
What I wanted to do, Sean, is I wanted to avoid Republican on Republican violence. I didn't want to be on that debate stage screaming back and forth with another Republican, with Chris Christie at the time.
And so I tried to pivot back to what I think is a very important truth, and that is that Barack Obama is someone who is doing a very systematic effort to undermine and change the nature of our government's role in the country and America's role in the world.
And unfortunately, you know, that played into a narrative that he had been driving all week and it allowed a distraction to be created, and so we couldn't close our campaign strong, and that was on me. That won't happen again.
HANNITY: I agree with you, though. I think Obama knows exactly what he's doing. He is an indoctrinated -- Frank Marshall Davis, Alinsky-ite disciple, an ACORN organizer, went to the church of GD America and Reverend Wright. He's friends with Ayers and Dohrn. I think that's all he knows, and he knows what he's doing. So I would agree...
RUBIO: Yes. There's...
HANNITY: Yes.
RUBIO: Well, I'm not going to stop saying that. I mean, that's the truth. And we need to understand. Look, if you don't believe that, then what you believe is that there's not much of a difference between the Republicans and Democrats, right? Then you just believe the democrats are a little bit more liberal, the Republicans more conservative, but pretty much about the same.
And that's how we lose elections. People have to understand that what's happening now, they know what they're doing. He is undermining this country. He's undermining our government's...
HANNITY: There's no doubt.
RUBIO: ... role in our society in terms of -- and so -- and he's doing damage, real damage.
HANNITY: All right...
RUBIO: So we have to confront it as the truth. And I think the question is, why aren't more people saying that?
HANNITY: I -- you know -- look, I've given a lot of speeches, and there were certain times during book tours I give a speech, maybe similar to a stump speech. I go to the same city. I don't use notes when I speak, but I say the same things. I do the same jokes. Every candidate does that.
And you seem to have been singled out. Does that bother you -- in other words, singled out for using the same lines?
RUBIO: Well, it's -- first of all, it's silly because, yes, it might be the 80th time that reporter heard it, but if I'm at a town hall in Iowa or New Hampshire, that might be the only time that those people hear it. It's not like they follow me around the way the press corps does. Of course you say the same thing in a lot of places because you have a message that you're trying to drive, and it may be the 100th time that a member of the press corps heard it, but it might be the first and only time that that voter gets to hear it.
Number two, I don't get it because traditionally in politics, where you get attacked is for changing your message, for saying one thing in one place and something different...
HANNITY: That's a good point, yes.
RUBIO: ... in another. In this case, you say the same thing and that's a problem so...
HANNITY: Do you wish you...
RUBIO: ... it's the silly season.
HANNITY: ... fought back harder against Christie...
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: ... thought Christie was a little too harsh.
RUBIO: Yes, what I should have done is basically pivoted back and pointed to his record. You know, I understand he's dropped out of the race, so that's beside the point now.
HANNITY: All right...
RUBIO: But I should have -- I should have dropped -- you know, pivoted and talked about the his record.
But Sean, you know, here's what I think and what I know, that when Republicans are doing this stuff to each other, the Democrats are sitting on the side just cheering. They love it. They love this stuff. You don't -- I mean, they love to see it. They love to see the media pit us against each other...
HANNITY: All right...
RUBIO: ... because it's doing their dirty work for them.
HANNITY: One final question. Going forward -- some people say this was a big setback for your campaign. You're going to South Carolina. You got Nevada. Walk us through your path, how you see victory for the presidency, for the nomination.
RUBIO: Well, first, let's put things in perspective. We did not finish as strongly as we wanted to in New Hampshire. That said, we left New Hampshire with as many delegates as the third and the fourth place finisher. So that's number one.
Number two, you know, there are people that finished ahead of me, in the case of Governor Kasich, who I congratulate, he did very well, and Governor Bush. Governor Bush spent close to $40 million in New Hampshire, about a tenth of that -- or a quarter of that attacking me directly. He made the state his primary focus. And in the case of Governor Kasich, he made it his only focus. So I think we have to put some perspective here. We -- you know, we finished within a thousand votes of doing much better, about 1,500 votes against someone who spent four times as much as we did. And we left as many delegates.
Now we go to South Carolina. It is a conservative Republican primary, a conservative state, and I look forward to that, because that's the environment that we do well in. I'm as conservative as anyone in that race, and I'm the conservative that can unite the party and grow our movement.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: All right, Senator Rubio, always good to see you. Ten days until South Carolina, appreciate your time.
RUBIO: Absolutely. Thanks, Sean.
HANNITY: And when we come back, Dr. Benjamin Carson did not have a good night in New Hampshire. He's here to explain the state of his campaign.
And later, Hillary Clinton turns to racial politics after getting crushed by Bernie Sanders last night in New Hampshire. That and more tonight on HANNITY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Welcome back to HANNITY. Now last night Dr. Benjamin Carson may not have finished as well as he hoped for in New Hampshire, but he's not disillusioned. The Carson campaign continues on in South Carolina where the next Republican primary is only 10 days away.
Joining us now from the Palmetto State, 2016 Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson. Sir, how are you?
BEN CARSON, R, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Doing well, Sean. Thank you.
HANNITY: You had a respectable double digit finish in Iowa. Last night didn't go the way you wanted. Do you see for yourself a path where you believe you can win the nomination?
CARSON: Absolutely. You know, I still have millions of supporters. On Facebook we have a lot of people who continue to make donations, and they're saying, please, please, please, please don't drop out. Please stay in because your strong states are coming up. And I believe that to be the case. I believe you will see a significant improvement right here in South Carolina, and that the more times we have an opportunity to get in front of audiences and actually explain what our policies are, it makes a huge difference.
HANNITY: OK. There is some that have questioned your decision after Iowa. It's not just about going back to Florida and changing your clothes, which we know became a big deal. But then you went to Washington and you didn't get back into New Hampshire, if I'm correct until, what, Thursday after the Monday night caucuses. Correct?
CARSON: Sean, I got to tell you. It would not have made much difference.
HANNITY: Why?
CARSON: That's one of the reasons you didn't see me there spending millions of dollars like many of the others who really didn't do all that well either. You have to pick your battles. And, you know, I tend to be a pretty conservative person on virtually everything. And it's not a message that sometimes resonates everywhere. And I understand that. This is a diverse nation. There are a lot of good people there in New Hampshire. They worked very hard and we very much appreciate what they did, but you always have to pick your battles.
HANNITY: So strategically what you're saying is you made a decision you were not going to compete as hard in New Hampshire but more focused on South Carolina where two thirds of the electorate are evangelicals. Fair analysis?
CARSON: I believe that our message is going to resonate extremely strongly here in South Carolina. And in a number of other states that are coming up in a relatively near future, as well.
HANNITY: OK, so then you have Nevada. You have then Super Tuesday. You have the SEC primary. So you're in at least through then. Fair statement?
CARSON: I believe that to be the case. You know, I assess on a day by day basis. You know, again, recognize that I'm in here for a different reason than everybody else. They have their own personal reasons, but I was petitioned by the people. I'm a member of we, the people. And as long as I have the support of we, the people, I will continue to go, particularly with them saying please don't drop out.
HANNITY: Yes. You got a little annoyed with the media, which, by the way, a daily obsession of mine. I'm not a big media fan although I'm in the media, but I would like to think this is alternative media for many people, saying that they are preoccupied with dissecting the minutia of your schedule. So you felt it was unfair and should have figured out you weren't competing in New Hampshire and that your plan is a little different than other candidates. For example, John Kasich didn't really compete in Iowa.
CARSON: Right. And also, wouldn't it be cool if they actually recognized that we have a lot of severe issues going on right now? You know, this is the first generation expected not to do better than their parents, and that's a continuing trend unless we do something to change it. They say it's the new normal, but it is not normal at all. We have to change that. We have to change our position in the world. We have to be proactive in the way that we do things. It's a very dangerous world we live in. There's so many issues that they need to be concentrating on. Why do they get so involved in these little minute things that don't mean anything?
HANNITY: I have asked you and I'll ask you again. If you got elected president, tell everybody what your first 100 days would be like.
CARSON: Well, first thing I would do talking to a joint session of Congress is tell them I'm not signing anything that borrows from the future. We have to stop doing that. We cannot continue to compromise their future. So we're going to get to a balanced budget very quickly. And I think it will take about three years to do that if the only thing you do is not increase the federal spending. Just that one simple thing. We are going to do a lot more than that because the government is very big and very bloated. So the next thing I'm going to do is start reducing that 4.1 million federal employees. And I'll do it by attrition. Tens of thousands retire each year. There's absolutely no reason to replace them. We can shift people where they need to be. I would call in directors of all those agencies, 645 federal agencies and sub-agencies and say cut your budget two percent to three percent or resign, whichever is easier for you. We'll get a replacement for you. And do it in a way that the people won't feel it.
HANNITY: I understand that Ted Cruz wanted to meet with you and talk with you at the debate last weekend. Is that settled in your mind?
CARSON: I haven't had a chance to really sit down with him yet. But, you know, I said it was settled several days ago. You know, all the evidence is there for people to see. They can make their own decisions about what was done. But I will say, you know, having heard from some of our volunteers how devastated they were when they heard that news, and they were out at all the precincts to talk to people, and then you get that crushing news, it kind of deflates your enthusiasm a little bit.
HANNITY: All right, Dr. Carson, always good to have you. Thank you for being with us.
CARSON: A pleasure. Thank you, Sean.
HANNITY: And coming up next tonight right here on HANNITY --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, D, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: African-American parents shouldn't have to worry that their children will be harassed, humiliated, even shot because of the color of their skin.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: After getting totally rocked by Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton is now using the race card in a pretty desperate attempt to save her failing campaign. Our panel will have reaction coming up next, that and more tonight as we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Welcome back to HANNITY. So last night was a total disaster for 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Now, she lost New Hampshire primary by a wide margin to self-proclaimed socialist Bernie Sanders. Now after her disastrous and embarrassing defeat, in an attempt to boost her polls in South Carolina, Clinton broke out the trusty race card. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, D, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We also have to break through the barriers of bigotry. African-American parents shouldn't have to worry that their children will be harassed, humiliated even shot because of the color of their skin.
(APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: Immigrant families shouldn't have to lie awake at night listening for a knock on the door.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: And that's not all. Last night Clinton's campaign manager sent out a memo that reads in part, quote, "It will be very difficult if not impossible for a Democrat to win the nomination without strong levels of support among African-American and Hispanic voters." It goes on to read "Hillary's high levels and support in the African American and Hispanic communities are well known. She has maintained a wide double digit lead over Senator Sanders among minority voters in national surveys and in states where African-American and Hispanic voters make up a large share of the electorate."
And following the New Hampshire victory Bernie Sanders, he made a stop in Harlem today to meet with none other than the Reverend Al Sharpton.
Joining us now is the chairman of the Tea Party Forward, which is Niger Innis, FOX News contributor, radio talk show host Leslie Marshall, political commentator Eric Guster. Really, that's what you're going to do is go straight to Al Sharpton. Let's go kiss the ring.
ERIC GUSTER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Al Sharpton is a force in the African- American community, and he is one of those people that candidates have to go to in order to get support. When you're getting support in politics, you have to reach out to different people. There are some on the political front, there are some religious front, and some on the social justice front.
HANNITY: OK. Reach out to a guy with his background and history. He used the term "Greek homos." He called the first black mayor of New York City the n-word multiple times. Is that the guy you go to?
GUSTER: That was 15 years ago.
HANNITY: Oh, 15 years ago. Everything I said five seconds ago is fine. It is all legit.
GUSTER: It was 15 years ago. He apologized for that. But Reverend Sharpton is a pillar in the community. And he is one of the people that can help candidates. And he talks about different social issues.
HANNITY: OK.
GUSTER: He brings different --
HANNITY: Niger Innis, TheNation.com, hardly part of the vast right wing conspirator, "Why Hillary Clinton does not" -- pan in -- "deserve the black vote." Right there. My question to you, in other words, it goes through detailed how the Clinton policies have not helped black America. Certainly black America has been disproportionately negatively impacted under Obama. So why would the black community vote for Hillary when Bernie Sanders also did well with the minority vote in New Hampshire?
NIGER INNIS, CHAIRMAN, TEA PARTY FORWARD: I think there's no question about it. Actually let me take a moment to shock Eric and actually agree with him. I think that the Democratic party needs to replace their symbol of the donkey with Al Sharpton, because he's the perfect reflection of progressive politics in the Democratic Party today.
But, you know, to be quite frank after seven years of hope and change, partying, I think the black community is confronted with a hangover. And that hangover is a high unemployment rate. It is the wealth gap. And it is if fruition of progressive policies. And, you know, Albert Einstein said, Sean, the definition of the same thing over and over again -- the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. I think the black community is looking for a change.
HANNITY: Leslie, let me go to you. If you look at the exit polls last night, and you're a Democrat, Sanders clobbered Hillary over an issue I've been bringing up. Most of American, some 60 plus percent, do not find her honest and trustworthy, and most people don't feel that she cares about them. And here is the most interesting tidbit of the night. How is it possible, Hillary, the entire state of New Hampshire is Bernie Sanders except for like four little counties. That is it. And yet Hillary walks away with more delegates out of New Hampshire than Bernie Sanders? Tell me that is not corruption within Democratic ranks, after the coin flip win in Iowa, all six of them.
LESLIE MARSHALL, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I don't think it's corruption, Sean, because quite frankly the exercise among delegates and super delegates to cast their vote or to cast their delegate for the candidate that they feel would best represent their party, and, quite frankly, be able to defeat any of the GOP contenders in a general election. That is what I'm hearing.
HANNITY: Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Without the coin flip, let me throw this to Eric, she loses to Iowa. She has fewer delegates. But she won all six of them. Now, because the eight super delegates in New Hampshire are all part of the Clinton machine, all of them, forget the will of the people, the Democratic Party in New Hampshire, forget that, she comes out the winner. And according to "The Daily Caller," they're actually claiming Hillary has 300 plus delegates and Bernie has 42 and he won both states in my estimation.
GUSTER: The Democratic Party is going to have backlash with those types of actions. Bernie Sanders has a great chance of beating Hillary Clinton, even with a socialist tag, with his programs that he's putting forth. I don't know how he's going to necessarily afford them all, but he has a great chance of beating Hillary because the African-American community is not necessarily in Hillary's pocket.
HANNITY: I agree with you. That was the narrative. Everybody is saying that. I am like, no, that is not happening.
GUSTER: I saw Bernie Sanders, his campaign rally in Birmingham, Alabama, my hometown. It was full of people.
HANNITY: And huge.
GUSTER: And I criticized Hillary because she went and did a campaign rally for the elite where in Birmingham he did one for the people, and the masses are the ones who actually vote.
HANNITY: I predict, Niger, that this assumption that everybody is making, prove it to me. I don't think -- she's apparently is believing that she has the minority vote locked up. I don't think that is the case. Thoughts?
INNIS: I agree completely. Not only that, but I don't think the Democratic Party has the black community's vote as it has in the past. I think the hidden story of South Carolina is going to be the bleeding of black voters into the Republican primary. That is going to shock you. You heard it here first.
HANNITY: Leslie, we have 10 seconds.
MARSHALL: I think it's interesting poll numbers only matter when it fits one's narrative. Polls clearly show that she has a huge lead with African- Americans and Hispanics. And in Iowa and New Hampshire don't have a lot of non-whites. It's interesting. Lastly, gentlemen, this is a 50-state election, not a two-state election. It is a 50-state election. That lady hasn't sung yet.
HANNITY: Thank you all.
INNIS: So far, so bad.
HANNITY: So far, so bad is right. That was a beat down.
All right, coming up, a big, important "Question of the Day," and we need your help, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: And time for the "Question of the Day." So what do you think of last night's New Hampshire primary results? Just go to Facebook.com/SeanHannity, @SeanHannity on Twitter, let us know what you think. We always love hearing from you.
That is all the time we have left this evening. As always, thanks for being with us. We'll see you back here tomorrow night.
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