Kellyanne Conway on the White House response to Harvey

Senior counselor to President Trump weighs in on 'Hannity'

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," September 1, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

JEANINE PIRRO, "HANNITY" GUEST HOST: This is a "Fox News Alert." Welcome to "Hannity." I'm Jeanine Pirro, in tonight for Sean.

A Houston area chemical plant explodes into flames yet again in Texas as the rescue efforts and recovery operations continue one week after Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Lone Star State. And the mayor of Houston is issuing a warning to residents who live near overflowing reservoirs they could see flooding for the next 10 to 15 days.

Plus, the president and first lady will travel to Texas and Louisiana tomorrow to visit hurricane victims. Here's what President Trump said earlier today in the Oval Office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The people of Texas and Louisiana were hit very hard by a historic flood. In their response, they have taught us all a lesson, a very, very powerful lesson. There was no outbreak in crime. There was an outbreak of compassion only, real beautiful, strong, compassion. And they've really inspired us as a nation. To be honest, they've inspired the world because the world is watching.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: Also tonight, President Trump has requested nearly $8 billion in initial federal aid for Hurricane Harvey recovery.

On the ground tonight in Orange, Texas, is Steve Harrigan -- Steve.

STEVE HARRIGAN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Judge, 37,000 houses across Texas are like this one behind me, three to four feet of flooding here, but some of those houses are actually completely under water. We have seen wave after wave of volunteer rescues in this area. The first rescues were pulling out people, people who decided to stay inside their houses. When the flood waters got too high, they came out.

Then we saw a lot of pets rescued, dogs and cats mainly, and now we are seeing volunteers go back in for precious possessions, the one thing someone wanted from the house. For one woman, it was a flag.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONNIE SINGLEY, SILSBEE RESIDENT: (INAUDIBLE) that's why. And he passed two years ago (INAUDIBLE) World War II vet.

HARRIGAN: Means a lot to you.

SINGLEY: Means a lot. I was afraid we was going to lose it. We're losing everything else, but they got this for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIGAN: That woman said through her tears she wanted one thing from her house, the flag, the World War II flag that adorned her father's casket. Volunteer rescuers went back in and got it. She said, we're losing everything, but we haven't lost that flag. It might take her two weeks for the water to go down enough for her to return to her house and assess the damage.

Judge, back to you.

PIRRO: Thanks, Steve.

And Rick Leventhal is also on the ground tonight, in Vidor, Texas -- Rick?

RICK LEVENTHAL, FOX CORRESPONDENT: And Judge, the power is out for most of Vidor and a curfew is in effect from 7:00 PM until 7:00 AM, so very little activity on the streets. But as I say that, two very large high-water vehicles are rolling by me. These are some of the vehicles that have been involved in the rescue efforts here in this part of southeastern Texas, which has seen more water that it has ever seen in this town's history. The Neches River crested previously at 13 feet. That was a record. And today, it crested at 21 feet. The police chief here told me there was no way they could have seen this coming, and in fact, no one did.

And tonight, there are still some rescue operations going on, as we've seen with these trucks going by. Earlier today, it was a wild scene on Main Street as we drove into town and through town, through flooded areas to dry areas, back through floodwaters again, and over dry areas and back to more flooded areas.

So people deeper into this town are isolated. They're surrounded by water. And boats can't just get to them. The boats have to be towed by high water vehicles through the dry areas to get to the flooded areas so that they can load those people up and get them out.

They're using all sorts of equipment, including monster trucks and airboats. Pretty much anything and everything with wheels and high clearance is being brought in here to try and bring people out.

And in fact, on our high-water vehicle today that was driven by the Harrison County Fire Department, we had a family of six adults. They brought six dogs out with them and a couple of cats, as well.

The National Guard is among the many agencies helping out here tonight, Judge. We saw them earlier today on highway I-10, which in this part of Texas is still closed to traffic because there are still floodwaters blocking some parts of that interstate. But these high-water trucks are able to get across that highway, get into parts of Texas like this one, where the flood waters are pretty dramatic, and try to get some of these folks out.

The sheriff told they evacuated at least 1,200 to 1,500 people from this town alone over the last few days, and some people still need to get out tonight, Judge.

PIRRO: All right, Rick, thanks so much.

And after the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, there's growing concern tonight over Hurricane Irma that could be headed for the East Coast. Rick Reichmuth in the Fox News Weather Center with more. Rick, talk to us!

RICK REICHMUTH, FOX METEOROLOGIST: Jeanine, yes, there's a storm out there. I'll tell you about that in a second. We still have Harvey, though, not a name anymore, but this is the moisture from it, bringing flooding across the Ohio valley today, numerous tornadoes again tomorrow. We still have this moisture in place.

The good news is the areas that saw the worst of the weather -- obviously, Houston, or say Texas and Louisiana -- over the next number of days, no real significant rainfall there to exacerbate any of the flooding. It is going to be hot, though, so that heat and humidity is a problem.

All right, we are headed toward the peak of hurricane season. Ten more days, and we're at the climatological, the statistical peak of the hurricane season. This is absolutely when we expect to see most of the activity.

And right on cue, a really strong storm out here in the Atlantic, strong for being this far out in the Atlantic. Usually, we don't see this. It's a Category 3 hurricane. So when you have something like that, obviously, it wakes you up and it makes you pay attention.

Usually, when you have a strong storm out there, it deflects off towards the north. Let's hope that happens. In the short term, it's not going to. It's going to continue to pull to west. Areas of the Lesser Antilles certainly need to watch. As maybe by around Wednesday, I would say Puerto Rico certainly needs to keep an eye on this, eventually in towards the Bahamas. We expect to see this move in that direction.

Eventually, it also moves across much warmer water. We have a Category 3 storm here, not across that much warm water. It gets warmer as the storm gets here in towards the Bahamas. That's a concern. Most of our models bring us into that area.

I will tell you there is an incredible amount of spread about what the different computer models show this storm is going to do. This is a model we like. The latest run of it gets it very close here to the East Coast. I will tell you we don't even pay attention to that at this point because other models have been all over the place. And this model, from one model run to the next model run, it's been going all over the place.

The point is, Jeanine, we have no real handle on this. We're about 10 to 12 days away from an East Coat impact. We have lots of time to watch it, so we'll keep people posted. But if anybody tells you they know where this storm is going, they don't. We don't at this point.

PIRRO: All right, Rick, thanks so much.

REICHMUTH: You bet.

PIRRO: And joining us now with more on the health hazards associated with flooding in Texas is Fox News medical correspondent Dr. Marc Siegel. All right, Doctor, you know, initially--

DR. MARC SIEGEL, FOX NEWS MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Judge.

PIRRO: -- you know, we think of the floods as outing mosquitoes. And so Hurricane Harvey could ignite, though, a surge in mosquitoes once the water is capable then of spreading more of these mosquitoes and the Zika virus.

Talk to us about that, and talk to us about the mold.

SIEGEL: You're absolutely right there -- 37,000 houses under water right now, according to Steve Harrigan, but the water is going to recede. And you know what you're left with? You're left with still water, breeding grounds for mosquitoes, debris, which mosquitoes love. So in this area of the country, you actually see the kind of mosquito that carries the Zika virus.

Now, Judge, Zika doesn't make you very sick. Eighty percent of the time, you don't even know you have it, but that's the problem because 1 out of 10 pregnant women that get Zika have babies with birth defects.

PIRRO: All right, so Zika primarily affects pregnant women, correct?

SIEGEL: In the way we worry about, yes.

PIRRO: In the way we -- OK, but let's talk about the mold. Let's talk about e coli, talking about the fact that there are animals that have passed. I actually spoke to a sheriff this afternoon who talked about some cattle, some animals, who are dead in the water, in the flood water. And so what is the impact on, you know, the human condition?

SIEGEL: Well, Judge, they get trapped in the water, and it's very tragic. And we've been showing it. But then unfortunately, you get more and more bacteria in the water, bacteria that's in their intestines. That bacteria can make you sick. If it even touches you, if you touch your eyes, you can get conjunctivitis. You can get skin infections. You can get bacterial infections in your gut. You can become dehydrated. Huge problem that's going to follow now in the days to come.

Then you asked about mold. You know what happens when the waters really recede? You get black mold in the buildings. And you know what that does? That causes a tremendous amount of increased asthma and allergies. And that's what we're going to see for months to come after this!

PIRRO: And the problem, of course, is getting clean, fresh water to people in Texas. And now this is all exacerbated by a chemical plant fire. What impact does that have on the surrounding area?

SIEGEL: Well, I'm really worried about that because the sulfur dioxide specifically in there, if it spreads through the air, can give you irritated eyes, nose, throat, and gets into your lungs. You can get fluid in your lungs. I'm worried about the chemicals. That's a huge problem.

And you talked about potable water. Well, they're trying to fly in as much bottled water as possible, but Judge, a lot of people in the region there use well water. And guess what flood water contaminates? Well water. If you have any doubt about it, you've got to boil it, boil the water before you drink it.

PIRRO: All right, Dr. Siegel, thank so much for being with us tonight.

SIEGEL: Good to see you, Judge.

PIRRO: And joining us now is counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway. Good evening, Kellyanne.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: Hi, Jeanine.

PIRRO: All right, talk to us about the president and what you expect him to do tomorrow. I understand he's visiting both Texas and Louisiana with the first lady.

CONWAY: That's right. The president and the first lady will return to Texas, and add Louisiana to the schedule tomorrow really to with the storm survivors, the evacuees, the rescuers, the volunteers, and to also coordinate even more with local/state officials, get some briefings from them.

You know, the federal government has 29,000 of its employees on the ground in the affected areas, 1,000 from Health and Human Services alone, and people from HUD, from Small Business Administration, Transportation, EPA, you name it. It's been a full administration, cabinet-wise, presidential, vice presidential effort.

And the president and the first lady want people in Texas and Louisiana to know that a grateful nation applauds those who are volunteering, stranger to stranger, neighbor to neighbor, continuing to rescue. And they also -- the president also wants to convey to the country -- convey on behalf of the country that we will stand with our brothers and sisters in Texas and Louisiana for as long we -- as long as the recovering and rebuilding takes.

And nobody really, Jeanine, can look around the corner and predict that. As you've been getting all these briefings, we full know housing is an issue, food, shelter, water, certainly medical and dental care related to the story, any type of other emergency people are having transportation- wise. We know that people have lost their property, their personal effects, and worse, their loved ones.

PIRRO: Well--

CONWAY: So we stand with them. And the president will continue to coordinate. I mean, we're so impressed with the governor, with the local and state officials, with the volunteers, everything that's happened, really administration-wide, FEMA, DHS -- they've just been incredible.

PIRRO: Well, they have been. And I know. I was in a flood, my family. We lost -- our house was condemned years ago in Hurricane Agnes. And you don't realize how important government assistance is for things as simple as clothing because you've lost everything and food.

And I was just talking to Dr. Siegel about bringing in supplies and water and -- you know, the good thing that we're hearing is that the president and the first lady in the first week of this Hurricane Harvey will have visited the storm area twice.

And you know, when you look back at another administration, a Republican administration, with President Bush, it took them 14 days to show up. And you know, for all those critics of the president -- an I've had enough, and I'm sure you have, too, about Melania's shoes, or should the president have hugged someone or not hugged someone -- the good news is that the facts speak for themselves!

CONWAY: The country should see what is in their hearts and not what's on their feet. And most people can cut through that peevish pettiness and -- and that all aside, the Trumps also have donated $1 million and they're encouraging everyone else who feels that they can help in any way, whether you are on ground helping those who are affected -- you can donate some money, donate blood, help get people the information they need.

I think that's one of the greatest resources that the media can provide right now is connecting people with the information they need, how to access disaster relief, how to access transportation, fresh water, as you're saying. This is something you can do no matter where you are, across the country.

The White House continues to also be a great resource in connecting people with Web sites and links with 1-800 numbers, if you have access to a working telephone.

But again. the president today, even just today, declaring -- calling for Sunday to be a national day of prayer really in honor of those -- in memory of those who have lost their lives, in honor of those who are rebuilding their lives now, and all those who have been part of the rescue and recovery efforts, as well, and continue to be part of the recovery, rebuilding, relief efforts.

He also today got a briefing from the American Red Cross, from the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, certainly the Salvation Army, thanking them but also hearing from them. I mean, that's -- that's the important part, here.

PIRRO: OK -- Kellyanne--

CONWAY: A leader (INAUDIBLE) a great listener.

PIRRO: Because I'm--

(CROSSTALK)

CONWAY: And the president has been listening this week.

PIRRO: I'm running up against a break, but I think that one of the overarching themes here is that we're seeing people come together, we're seeing the president actually on the ground, and we're seeing people in Texas -- and I know a lot of people in Texas -- coming together, not saying, Help me, poor me, I can't help myself, but they're out there doing it, getting it done, moving back into their homes, accessing and helping each other, black and white, young and old.

And it really is a positive story about this country, starting at the top, and where we're going to come out as it relates to this administration.

CONWAY: You're looking at the best of America right in front of our eyes. And we applaud everyone and nobody cares what their politics are.

PIRRO: Right.

CONWAY: If they supported the president last election, if they're even registered to vote, we're there to help each other. And this is a president on November 9th doing -- right after he was declared the victor, he said, I will be the president of all Americans, including those who did not support me. And this is the latest proof of that.

PIRRO: He is--

(CROSSTALK)

CONWAY: -- as campaign manager, he and Governor Pence went to Baton Rouge a year ago.

PIRRO: That's right.

CONWAY: President Obama was in Martha's Vineyard. Hillary Clinton did not go down to Baton Rouge. They went down there--

PIRRO: All right--

CONWAY: -- and they hugged people. We all saw the images of coffins floating away and people in need. Mr. Trump and Governor Pence went down there to Baton Rouge, and they did it again this week.

PIRRO: All right--

CONWAY: When he knows he's got the capacity to help people, he does it.

PIRRO: Kellyanne, thanks so much for being with us tonight.

CONWAY: Thanks for having me, Judge.

PIRRO: All right. And coming up -- the mainstream media continues to politicize the Hurricane Harvey tragedy in an attempt to smear President Trump. Dr. Robert Jeffress and Corey Lewandowski are here next.

Plus, the commander-in-chief is ripping James Comey over a new report that suggests the former FBI director actually drafted a statement clearing Hillary Clinton of charges before the bureau even finished its investigation into her server scandal!

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: No challenge is too great for us to overcome. No challenge. We invite all Americans to join us as we continue to pray for those who have lost family members and friends, and for those who are suffering from this great crisis. We're going to be signing a day of prayer. And that'll be on Sunday. It'll be a very special day. And I don't know when this was done last, but it's been a long time ago. Is that a correct statement? It's been a long time ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: That was President Trump earlier today announcing that Sunday will be a national day of prayer for the victims of Hurricane Harvey. First lady Melania Trump also offered her support. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIA TRUMP, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to thank all the volunteers all across the country that have come to help to Texas. And fantastic job. And we're going tomorrow to visit them. And I just want to tell them to be strong and everything will be OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: President Trump and the first lady will travel back to Texas and Louisiana tomorrow, but the mainstream media continues to attack the president over his Harvey response. Yesterday, Politico ran this headline, "Pence shows Trump how to sweat it out with Texas victims."

And MSNBC is also on the attack, shockingly, questioning if President Trump made mistakes during his visit to the Lone Star State. Look at this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to talk to you first about Mike Pence and his visit here, the meeting with victims. This is a different tack than the president took when he visited the region on Monday. Is he just trying to make up for a mistake that the president made, in your view?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that it was pretty telling that the White House staff themselves, not even the vice president's staff, but the White House staff themselves, said it's important for the VP to go down and to talk specifically to victims, and that probably is something that would have been better, obviously, for the president to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: Joining us now with reaction is Fox News contributor and pastor at the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Dr. Robert Jeffress. He led a prayer in the Oval Office earlier today. And also with us tonight is former Trump campaign manager and senior adviser for America First Action Corey Lewandowski. All right, good evening, gentlemen.

Pastor Jeffress, I'm going to start with you. You were in the Oval Office today. Talk to us about the what president did and what his intentions are in announcing this national day of prayer on Sunday.

ROBERT JEFFRESS, FOX CONTRIBUTOR: Well, Judge, I was honored to stand next to that president when he issued this proclamation calling for a day of prayer Sunday. This was complete his idea. And I'm grateful we have a president who believes in the power of prayer. And even though he's the most powerful person in the world, he is not too proud to bow his head in the Oval Office and ask God for help. That should encourage every American. And this is just one reason people of faith absolutely love this president!

PIRRO: Well, they love him. They elected him. And he is following through on his promises. But you know, Corey, one of the things that I read was the, you know, Pence -- the headline "Pence shows Trump how to sweat it out with Texas victims" and was Pence sent there to overcome the mistake that the president made.

I mean, I -- the response by this administration has been excellent, twice, with the first lady, in the first week, promising, looking for $8 billion. What is wrong with the left?

COREY LEWANDOWSKI, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Well, Judge, you know what's wrong with the left. This will never fit their narrative. They're so distraught that the president is actually taking care of the people in Texas and Louisiana. They didn't want him to be successful.

And what he has done and what his team has done is they've given all the resources necessary to the state of Texas and Louisiana. Any help that they have asked for, they've received. And unfortunately, that doesn't fit the left's liberal agenda of saying that this administration was going to fail.

Unfortunately, they've succeeded! They're taking care of the people, not Republicans, not Democrats, everybody, Americans. They need help from the federal government, and this president has said, Any help that you need, we are here to stand with you, next to you and beside you. And he'll be back there tomorrow doing that again.

PIRRO: And you know, Corey, it's interesting. I mean, with the last president -- I said it earlier -- Bush -- you know, he said that his FEMA director was doing a heck of a job. And you know, there were coffins floating after Katrina.

But you know, this president has already got the networks set up for individuals who are accessing checks from FEMA so that they can start to get their kids on the road to school, food, shelter, clothing, all that stuff. It is totally different now, Corey, is it not?

LEWANDOWSKI: Well, it absolutely is. And if you look at response between this natural disaster and Superstorm Sandy in New Jersey, where Obama wasn't prepared, the federal government wasn't prepared -- the difference now is we've got Tom Bossert, the homeland security adviser who has helped out on this. The team is completely in place.

The president's overseeing the work that is taking place. And what he's said is, Governors, any help you need, the federal government stands ready to give it to you. The National Guard will come in. The Army Corps of Engineers are ready to go in there and fix the problems to help the locals make sure they can be up and running in no time. That is not what has happened in the previous administration.

PIRRO: And you know, Pastor Jeffress, you know, when the president talks about a national day of prayer, when the president fills the Oval Office with religious leaders showing compassion for -- and I don't call them victims in Texas because I know Texans. They don't want to be called victims. They're up and at it and fixing their homes.

But the last time I remember a president, you know, at a prayer breakfast was him saying, you know, You Christians, get off your high horse. This is the president bringing people together. And Americans are showing how great and generous and charitable they are, correct?

JEFFRESS: It's absolutely correct, Judge. And let me say -- as a Texan, I can say this -- Texans are absolutely thrilled with this president and this administration's response to this catastrophe.

And I had the privilege today of spending quite a bit of time in the Oval Office with the president, vice president, General Kelly, Jared Kushner, and I saw men who were overwhelmed with compassion for these storm victims, but they were also focused on bringing real help.

I wish every American could see and hear what I heard today. Every American would have great confidence in this president and the tremendous team he's put together!

PIRRO: All right. Corey Lewandowski, Pastor Jeffress, thanks so much for being with us tonight.

And coming up, President Trump is slamming James Comey over a new report that the former FBI director actually drafted a letter to exonerate Hillary Clinton before the investigation was even over! Tammy Bruce and Matt Schlapp react to that one next.

And then later, Tom Fitton is here with more breaking news about the FBI's Clinton e-mail investigation.

Stay with us on this busy news night.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PIRRO: Welcome back to "Hannity."

Yesterday we first learned the shocking new revelations from Senators Grassley and Graham who uncovered evidence that former FBI director James Comey actually drafted a statement clearing Hillary Clinton well before the end of the investigation into her email server. Earlier today President Trump responded on Twitter writing, quote, "Wow, looks like James Comey exonerated Hillary Clinton long before the investigation was over. And so much more, a rigged system."

Joining us with now with reaction is Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce and American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp. All right, guys, I have to tell you, I am furious. The idea of an FBI director making a conclusion before 17 witnesses, including the target herself, are spoken to is the height of corruption, hypocrisy, and the unequal justice system in America. Tammy, am I wrong?

TAMMY BRUCE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I think you've seen it perfectly there. What this says -- there's a lot of layers in this when it comes to the nature of the law and the trouble Comey could be in. But the biggest issue is what it says to the American people, that the underlying theme of the Trump campaign, that the system is rigged, that things are not fair, that a certain political class and media class have a different set of rules for them than they have for you. Of course, in the campaign this was highlighted by Hillary Clinton, Benghazi, the server, but now we know, and it appears, it's alleged, as we can tell, that the FBI director was not only perhaps protecting Hillary, but then it gives more of an impact to President Trump's allegations that in fact Comey was even operating against him, not saying publicly that he was innocent, or --

PIRRO: Yes, it allows you to look back at things.

BRUCE: Yes, exactly, that you're looking at a political maneuver that in fact gives credence to President Trump's criticisms and concerns, and that of course now that he was perfectly correct in firing him as well.

PIRRO: All right, Matt, let me ask you this. You know, Mueller is a buddy of Jim Comey's, and Mueller's investigation centers on a truth-telling contest between Comey and the president of the United States. Given the fact they're pals dating back to the John Ashcroft hospital days, and what we're learning about Comey that it's quite possible he actually perjured himself in front of Congress by lying under oath saying he didn't make a decision until after the investigation, doesn't this shed a whole cloud now on Mueller's investigation?

MATT SCHLAPP, CHAIRMAN, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION: Yes, I definitely think -- there are so many questions on other side. We have spent all this time with all of these crazy charges about Donald Trump, but it's important that we get to the center of who James Comey is and what his public service has been like.

I served with him in the Bush administration. And I was told by everybody, oh, this is a very strong Republican who supported George Bush. When I did the background on Jim Comey, what I learned is his politics are the politics of what's good for Jim Comey. And what we're also learning about is this man who views himself as the boy scout of ethics is that really when you look at his statements all around this Hillary Clinton controversy there's all types of deception.

Here's what bothers me the most, judge. You're the lawyer, I'm not. No grand jury, no subpoenas, Hillary Clinton is never put under oath. He clearly got either an indication from the White House or in his own mind that Hillary Clinton should basically get a pardon without really an investigation. And to me that is so disgusting because there is no question she broke laws.

PIRRO: Well, there's no question she broke laws. And just so you know, I want to be really clear on one thing, Matt, you don't have to put her under oath. She lies to an FBI agent like Martha Stewart.

SCHLAPP: But don't you think she should be, though? Shouldn't she be put under oath?

PIRRO: They generally don't, just as a matter of policy. That's not the point. She lied, but they didn't do anything anyway.

All right, Tammy, now there's this guy Benjamin Wittes, he says this -- this is his response to Comey's drafting this letter. This may come -- or as a shock to Grassley, Graham and Trump, but judges sometimes do a memo draft about an opinion before oral argument. Let me tell you something, Benjamin Wittes, I don't know who you are, but I've been a judge, and you're wrong. And I've been a prosecutor, you're wrong again. You don't waste your time drafting memos acquitting someone before you've heard the facts.

BRUCE: Yes, but look, this tells you everything. He's a confidante of Jim Comey, by the way. We know Jim Comey uses his friends to send messages to the media that he doesn't want to do his. There's a small cottage industry defending Jim Comey these days. He is with the Brookings Institution, and he comes out and says that this is normal. You draft this memo, just in case something happens. The question then becomes that if you're going to do this exonerating her, why wasn't there a memo for the other side, that if you're going to have to recommend an indictment of a woman running for president, he didn't seem to need to do that. But that speaks to the fact that this is the direction that he was going, that in fact --

PIRRO: He had no intention -- you know, Matt, the fact that they didn't even impanel a grand jury tells me he had no intent of conducting a real investigation.

Now, should he be charged with perjury based on the unequivocal answer when he was asked did you make a decision before or after you heard Hillary's testimony? He said after. He was unequivocal. Criminal investigation? Should Sessions get involved?

SCHLAPP: I absolutely think so. I think there's another issue here too, not just what Jim Comey said under oath in front of the Senate to Richard Burr and to others, but also you have this question about these leaks. He told Congress he couldn't give it information when it asked, but he could give his friend information who then leaked it to favorable people in the press. This is disgusting, this is cronyism, and the American people have really had enough of all of this.

PIRRO: Anyway, got to go. We're out of time. Guys, that was a great discussion.

Coming up, more breaking news about the Clinton email scandal. A federal judge is now ordering the FBI to release more information about its investigation. Tom Fitton joins us now next.

Plus, new documents show that the FBI and DHS had been warning states and cities about the rise of Antifa violence for over a year, but did you hear about it? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PIRRO: This is a Fox News alert. Recovery efforts are still ongoing in Texas as floodwaters in some areas are just beginning to recede. Steve Harrigan will join us with another live report in just a few minutes.

But first, major news about the Clinton server scandal. In response a lawsuit filed by several groups, including Judicial Watch, a federal judge has ordered a FBI to disclose more information into how it handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton's server.

Joining us now to explain more is the president of Judicial Watch, Tom Fitton. All right, Tom, first of all, I think America owes you a thank you for all that you've done in your persistence, because had you not been persistent, along with people like Jay Sekulow, I don't know whether or not any of this stuff would have come out. But the latest is that a federal judge has said the FBI has to disclose information about the investigation that they didn't want to disclose. And why don't you just tell us specifically what that information is.

TOM FITTON, JUDICIAL WATCH: Well, just to take a step back, we're trying to get the State Department to work with the Justice Department under law, the Federal Records Act, to go and get Mrs. Clinton's emails and take action. And they're trying to persuade the judge there's nothing else to do. And they filed this secret document from the FBI describing what they've done, and the judge says you can't keep this secret, and I'm going to release it, and it's going to describe what the FBI has done to date, including effort to try to get declassified info, subpoena her internet providers, and things like that.

So it's a good ruling in the sense that it forces the FBI to put some more cards on the table, but the problem, judge, is that we're battling the State Department and Justice Department not during the Obama administration, but right now over this ridiculous issue of just trying to get information about Mrs. Clinton.

PIRRO: My question is, who went before the federal judge and said we don't want to hand out any information about the FBI's investigation into Hillary's server, the Justice Department or the State Department?

FITTON: Well, the State Department is the defendant, represented by Justice Department lawyers. So you have a two-for on the deep state here.

PIRRO: OK, and that's where I'm going. We're talking about the deep states here. We've got a federal judge saying you're both wrong, Justice Department and State Department, but we've got Jeff Sessions, and we've got Rex Tillerson who are in charge of those departments. And I would suspect, Tom, and when I was a D.A. myself, they don't go into court without talking to me about major cases. So what am I missing here? Is it the deep state or is it Sessions and Tillerson? Who is objecting to this?

FITTON: The deep state is a big issue. If left to operate on its own, it's going to object, it's going to obstruct, it's going to protect Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration. And that's why the head of the agencies, like Secretary Tillerson and the attorney general or his designees, need to get the bureaucrats under control and start releasing this information.

I'm pretty sure President Trump doesn't want to spend taxpayer resources defending Hillary Clinton. We're trying to get the emails she deleted, judge, and we're facing a fight from the Trump administration's appointees and agencies. It's something that is so frustrating. It's one thing that faced us during the Obama administration --

PIRRO: But now it is.

FITTON: Oh, boy.

PIRRO: All right, well, Tom, thanks for all the work you're doing. And thank goodness for this judge.

FITTON: Yes.

PIRRO: And coming up, Steve Harrigan joins us live with an update on the recovery efforts in Texas. Plus, newly-obtained documents show that the FBI and DHS have been warning state and local officials about the rise of Antifa violence for over a year, but I haven't heard about it. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PIRRO: This is a FOX News alert. Floodwaters still remain in many Texas communities hit hard by hurricane Harvey. Joining me now on the ground in Orange, Texas, is Steve Harrigan.

HARRIGAN: Judge, the floodwater here is still rising. All day we've been seeing people try and pull what they can save out of their flooded houses.
Couches, carpets, even drywall. They put it out in the sun and hope to save it. It's a tough process physically and emotionally. We talked to one retired man who thinks he may not be up for the challenge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of this here is from my house. Any furniture that it touches it ruins, it destroys. So that's it.

HARRIGAN: How's your attitude? How's your spirit after this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stunned, but I'll be all right. We're going to be good. This is our second time in nine years, so my wife and I are both retired. So we're leaving. We're calling it quits. So we're out of here.

HARRIGAN: Higher ground?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Higher ground, yes, sir.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIGAN: Some people still don't even know yet how bad they have it. It could be weeks before the water recedes enough for them to reach their houses. Judge, back to you.

PIRRO: Steve, thank you.

And also tonight, damning new information about Antifa. Fox News is reporting, quote, "In previously unreported documents dating back to April, 2016, and viewed by Fox News, the FBI and Department and Homeland Security wrote that, quote, "Anarchists, extremists, and Antifa groups were the primary instigators of violence at public rallies."

Joining us now with reaction is Fox News contributor Deroy Murdock and Democratic pollster and FOX News contributor Doug Schoen. All right, Deroy, what's interesting is that for decades we've been hearing about the alt-right the most likely to be the instigators of violence, and yet now we hear that the FBI and Homeland Security have been talking about Antifa, talking about them using weapons shields, beating, Molotov cocktails, fires, smashing. And I haven't heard about this. Have you?

DEROY MURDOCK, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Not much until recently. But these people have been very active. You go back to the campaign of last year, we had Trump supporters wearing hats that said "Make America Great Again" were getting beaten over their heads. They lit up a limousine during inauguration. That was ablaze. That happened to be owned by a Muslim, interestingly enough. And I think this report about also the report about the Antifa guys on the way to Charlottesville that was given to the Virginia government, this completely vindicates what Donald Trump said, that both sides were to blame in Charlottesville. You had neo-Nazis on one side, neo-communists on the other. It's perfectly appropriate to condemn both sides, and both sides were responsible for the violence down there.

PIRRO: And Doug, doesn't Deroy make a good point, and that is that these reports seem to actually bolster President Trump's insistence that extremists on the left bear some blame for clashes that are occurring in our society now.

DOUG SCHOEN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Look, these people are not Democrats. They are extremists. I want to be clear that neo-Nazism is very different from what you call neo-communism, but that being said, these people are outside the mainstream. They are promoting and provoking violence. And I as a mainstream Democrat distance myself from them first and foremost.

PIRRO: OK, so the Antifa is not Democrat, but the alt-right is Republican. Is that fair, Deroy?

MURDOCK: No, I don't think it is fair. I've been a member of the conservative and free market movement since 1979. I have nothing in common with the so-called alt-right and neo-Nazis and so on. I think it's appropriate to denounce them as the racist and violent people that they are.

But we also have the Antifa people out there, people on the strong left and hard left who are out there doing things like clocking people over the heads with bicycle locks inside of socks, and beating people. You saw just in Boston last week, Berkeley and elsewhere, beating people up, knocking people over the heads with sticks. They actually hold shields that say, "No Hate" while they're pounding people's faces in. People walk around with blood coming out of their foreheads after they encounter these people.

These are like Hitler's brown shirts in the 1920s who would attack their political opponents on the streets of Berlin until they bled. And now we're seeing it all over again on the part of Antifa and the far left.

PIRRO: Doug, doesn't it bother you as we see this activity, starting with, as I recall, Berkeley, and I remember I called them black ninjas, because nobody told me about Antifa. You know, they're trying to burn down the building, breaking windows, beating people up, 12 hours of rioting, one person arrested only because he insisted on being arrested for his street cred. Why are the police standing down?

SCHOEN: Look, I think you have to talk to police in individual jurisdictions. To my way of thinking, anyone who engages in this kind of violence on left or right deserve to be prosecuted if they break the law. And Deroy makes some good points. I just want to reiterate that they are not brown shirts. They're people who are outside the system. They're bad people. They're not Democrats. But they're not Nazis, period.

PIRRO: They're Americans. You know what, they're more left than they are right. We ought at least to be honest about what the agenda is.

SCHOEN: I'm absolutely clear on that, Jeanine. They're more left than right and they're completely people who I disassociate myself from. Let's be clear. I'm the loyal opposition.

PIRRO: Oh, good. You don't want to be associated with them. I don't want to be associated with the white supremacists. So there.

MURDOCK: That's right. I'm glad Doug did that, and Nancy Pelosi denounced them, and I think every Democrat ought to separate themselves from these people.

PIRRO: Coming up, more "Hannity" after the break. Sorry, guys. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PIRRO: Welcome back to "Hannity." Unfortunately that's all the time we have left this evening. But be sure to tune into tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. for "Justice" with me. We will have Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset on to discuss President Trump's visit.

Thanks for being with us. Have a terrific night.

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