Ingraham: The new American left: agents of hatred

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Ingraham: The new American left: agents of hatred

We are seeing a disturbing uptick in political violence mostly from the left.

This is a rush transcript from "The Ingraham Angle," September 12, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX SHOW HOST: Hannity, I love Jon Voight and I got teared up watching that.

HANNITY: Me too.

INGRAHAM: And Levin does a great show. I love -- I miss that. I read about that, but thank you for showing it.

HANNITY: I think you need to be a guest on his show. We are going to put you on there for an hour.

INGRAHAM: When? Let's get it done.

HANNITY: I did an hour. You got to do an hour.

INGRAHAM: All right. And I miss being on your show. Can I come on your show sometime? Is that allowed still? Am I allowed to do that?

HANNITY: I am allowed to work out with you. By the way, the left hates you so much. They are like, putting up pictures of you when you were 12 and saying, she was a horrible person at 12.

INGRAHAM: Well, you know, it's the cost of doing battle, Hannity. What can I say?

HANNITY: Welcome to the club. Welcome to the big time. Welcome to prime time. You made it.

INGRAHAM: You warned me. Oh, we got a laugh through it all, Hannity. Thank so much and you had a great show tonight. Welcome to "The Ingraham Angle." I'm Laura Ingraham from Washington tonight. You're going to stay -- you'll want to stay for the full show. We have a lot to get to. The entire hour is going to be appointment viewing for you. We have something very important we want to tackle. The increasingly hostile tactics of the left, from demonization now to outright violence, and how it's harming the country.

Governor Mike Huckabee, Jeff Lord, Matt Schlapp, Congressman Steve Scalise, and another important guest will join us. And tonight, Raymond Arroyo is here with a story of a comedian bounced from a late-night talk show for #MeToo comments, or was it something else he said?

And Joe Biden producing a new series with social media giants, trying to tilt the midterm elections. "Seen and Unseen" straight ahead. And we're going to bring a live upgrade from the ground in North Carolina as Hurricane Florence, it's terrifying, bears down on the east coast.

But first, The New American Left: Agents of Hatred. That is the focus of tonight's "Angle."

In the wake of their humiliating defeat in 2016, and after Trump had called them all out for their disastrous policies, Democrats and their celebrity boosters were seething. Just 24 hours after the inauguration, this was their message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADONNA, SINGER: Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House.

ASHLEY JUDD, ACTRESS: We are here to be nasty! I am a nasty!

ANGELA DAVIS, POLITICAL ACTIVIST: Over the next months and years, we will be called upon to intensify our demands for social justice, to become more militant in our defense of vulnerable populations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Militant. I'll say. Fast-forward to today, when we are seeing a disturbing uptick in politically motivated violence, mostly from the left. Abusive behavior via language and in some cases physical attacks are visited upon people for no other reason except for the fact that they are conservative supporters of the president.

Just this week, Karen Washington, a Trump supporter, announced a meet-up of fellow activists at a Trump hotel. Then someone using an anonymous Twitter account with a handle @Dreamstarjustic responded with the image of a handgun and the message "I'm coming with a gun and I expect to get numerous bloodstains MAGrA hats as trophies."

Though the account, which supported the far left Democratic socialists, has since been deleted, D.C. police and the FBI investigated the mass murder threat. Authorities are right to take these threats seriously. And over the weekend, a Republican congressional candidate in California, Rudy Peters, who will join us in just a moment, was in a booth at a fall festival when a man named Farzad Fazeli approached him. And angry Fazeli yelled profanities about President Trump and then rush the Republican candidate. Fazeli pulled out a switchblade, which he meant to use on Peters. Well, the knife thankfully malfunctioned and the candidate fought back.

Fazeli has been charged with a felony count of making deadly threats and other misdemeanors. Now this all comes in the heels of a spate of vicious attacks over that summer where Trump officials and Republicans were targeted in public places. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Chief Kirstjen Nielsen, and Stephen Miller were all set upon by activists.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE/FEMALE: Shame! Shame! Shame!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How can you enjoy the Mexican dinner as you're deporting and imprisoning tens of thousands of people who come here seeking asylum in the United States?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What would Mr. Rogers think about you and your legacy in Florida? Taking away health insurance from with people with pre-existing conditions Pam Bondi. Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Even moderate Republicans, like Susan Collins, are subject to abuse. Collins' office on Capitol Hill has been slammed by calls to vote against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you care at all about women's choice, vote no on Kavanaugh, don't be a dumb (BLEEP) you also.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you vote for him you are standing up fackless, fackless, fackless woman, standing there and letting Trump and his appointees steal healthcare from millions of Americans, steal the right to choose what women do with their bodies. And you stood by that, oh, I didn't know, I am so naive (BLEEP) you. (BLEEP) you.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Like the destructive antics of Antifa or the rioting that swamped Baltimore, you can always count on the left to justify aggression. This is MSNBC contributor Yamiche Alcindor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YAMICHE ALCINDOR, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: When you listen to those and having been on the campaign trail, it's the passion of people. It's obviously abusive and the language that is being used is abhorrent, but you also feel that they are talking about life-and-death issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Now, it's important to focus on the word but that she used. "It's abhorrent but life and death issues." In other words, as if to say the abuse coming from the left is almost justified, reading between the lines, as they like to say. Well that certainly what James Hodgkinson thought when he tried to assassinate Republican Steve Scalise at a baseball field in Virginia last year.

The threats, the demonization, the violence, it is all of a piece. And by the way, Steve Scalise will join us in just a moment. Activists on the left have created basically a deadly ideology where harassment and even doing bodily harm has become essentially a legitimate tool of the resistance. This is Congresswoman Maxine Waters from this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MAXINE WATERS, D—CALIF.: There are those who said that we lacked civility when I got up and talked about the president's cabinet -- just tell them, you're not welcome here anyway.

(APPLAUSE)

And so, it frightened a lot of people. And of course, the lying president said that I had threatened all his constituents. I did not threaten his constituents, his supporters. I do that all the time but I didn't do it that time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: It is just utterly disgraceful. It's not funny. You know why it's not funny? Because lives are now being endangered by reckless speech like this. It is not political debate. We are not debating the issues here. It is a conversation that goes one way. You are abhorrent, you are awful, you are like Hitler, you are a Nazi, and so we will destroy you by any means necessary. That is how the game goes.

Well, I say it is time for the Democratic Party to not only condemn this hate speech but to repudiate his repeated political acts of terror before someone loses their life. Political battles on both sides, you bet, Republicans and Democrats should be limited to discourse and debate, and chirp, protest, that's fine.

To allow this dangerous trend, though, to continue, of the kind of stuff we have been seeing, is going to take our republic and our politics to places we dare not go. And that's the "Angle."

Joining us now with reaction, two men who have seen this violence face-to- face. The aforementioned Rudy Peters, the Republican congressional candidate from California attacked by a knife wielding Trump hater just on Sunday, along with House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. Of course, we all know over a year ago, Congressman Scalise himself was shot, has endured multiple surgeries during that congressional baseball game, not so far from where we are broadcasting tonight.

Both of you, it is wonderful to see you for this very important topic. Rudy, I want to start with you then we're going to go to Congressman Scalise. Tell us very briefly what happened on Sunday that all Americans must know, given the tenor of this debate and discourse today.

RUDY PETERS, REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Thanks for having me Laura. Sunday was just another day the fair and the street fair, wonderful people in Castro Valley, great job by the chamber. I had another gentleman running for assembly district 20 here in California with me.

All of a sudden we are sitting behind the table, it's late in the evening and we hear somebody screaming, "F you, Donald Trump. F you Donald Trump." We kind of look up from the table. He's got his middle finger extended and he is walking by our booth and we pretty much didn't say a word, just watched him walk by, kind of keep an eye on him. The next thing we know, he stops, turns around and says, "I'll show you," and he pretty much bum rushes the table.

On our table, we had a coffee cup that had flags and pens. We were reregistering Alameda County voters. As he picks up the coffee cup, I kind of get away from the table, and start going around to the front of the table. He picks up the coffee cup, rears his back, throws it at us, misses it, hits the ground, breaks us. We are pretty much chest to chest at this time.

I grabbed him, threw him to the ground, I don't strike him. I don't even fall on top of him. I'm just standing over him and backing up. He had a beer in his hand in glass bottle and people are screaming, children are screaming. It is pretty crowded with family. And he jumps immediately up, reaches in his pocket, pulls out a knife, and he's got it over his head, and he is screaming, "I'm going to kill you."

So he's glancing in a circle, and I can see his thumb trying to get the blade. He's pushing on the butt to try to get the blade to come out. So at that point, I'm pretty much fearing for my life. So, I just looked around and grab kind of a sign at another vendor's booth, a little plastic kind of like a sandwich board sign and held it up because I thought --

INGRAHAM: And you pushed him back?

PETERS: --, you know, when this lunatic gets, you know, this knife out, he's going to kill me.

INGRAHAM: Unbelievable.

PETERS: So, somebody finally screamed and yelled and it stopped and he turned around and left and I went back to my booth and --

INGRAHAM: This is insane. I mean, Rudy, this is insane. First of all, we are so glad you are safe. Glad the switchblade was not operating or he didn't know how to operate it. But Congressman Scalise, of course, I thought about you, the first moment I heard about this, read about it, I thought about you, and everything you and your family have gone through over this past year. Your reaction to this entire trajectory since last year to today, given what has happened?

REP. STEVE SCALISE, R—LA.: Laura, first, it's great to be back with you, and there is no place for this in American politics. The foundation of this country is about free and open debate. We encourage it. We ultimately placed into the Bill of Rights the First Amendment to allow people the freedom of speech, to even criticize their government, but not to resort to violence.

We actually resolve our political differences at the ballot box in America. That is what we have always been about. And this violence, the insightfulness, the call to arms in essence amongst liberals, has to stop.

INGRAHAM: Well, the left is saying, Congressman Scalise that, well, Donald Trump started this. It's his divisive rhetoric, it's a life or death situation for Americans, we're going to lose our health care, women are going to lose their right to abortion. It's a life-and-death situation. Well, we don't want you to resort to violence, but, as Maxine Waters said push them back, find them where they are, go to restaurants, gas stations, essentially don't let people operate, like Rudy was doing, in public.

SCALISE: There is no but to that sentence and you pointed that out, Laura. But look, with this president -- when Donald Trump ran for office, he promised that he would actually fight for those forgotten men and women.

There were millions of Americans that had been left behind, that weren't even part of the American dream because they had been discarded by the previous administration with a horrible economy, with crazy regulation, things that were killing manufacturing in our country.

And you literally saw parts of our country being eviscerated. The middle class was being eviscerated. And Donald Trump ran and said, I'm going to stand up for you.

INGRAHAM: They don't care.

SCALISE: And his policies are actually following through.

INGRAHAM: But they don't care. Congressman, they, the left --

SCALISE: Nobody understand that.

INGRAHAM: -- and way too many of the Democrats -- Eric Swalwell came out in a tweet and he condemned the violence toward Mr. Peters. So that is good. We haven't heard very much --

SCALISE: We need to see more of that.

INGRAHAM: Yes, we haven't seen much with Maxine Waters --

SCALISE: All Democrat leaders, yes --

INGRAHAM: -- and Schumer and Pelosi, where are they? We have a congressional candidate being attacked with a switchblade, yelling "F Trump" and we're just, let's go, this is another day. And you were almost killed.

SCALISE: They really need to be called on to call out this kind of violence. If this was going on the right, you know what would happen, Laura. Every mainstream media outlet would be reporting this, calling on each one of us, they'd have microphones in our faces, would you denounce it? And you know what, I would denounce it.

I denounce anything that happens on either side but you don't see about enough from the left and it needs to happen more, but they need to be challenged. You know, where are these liberal talk show hosts that yell and scream and rant and rave, if their incitement is actually leading somebody to go and commit violence? That is not what this country is about.

INGRAHAM: It is by any means necessary. And everyone watching tonight, you have to understand that we're at not for a switchblade not operating, Mr. Peters having the wherewithal and the physical strength to push this guy back, you might have had your throat slit.

And Congressman Scalise, you came very close to dying and it could have been a mass slaughter at the baseball game. That was politically motivated. I do not think it was adequately covered as such, as political violence by the American media.

I am very upset about what is going on. And Republicans have to be careful with their rhetoric, the president, everybody has got to take it down a notch. It is way too hot, and debate is great but this is obscene, what is happening. Mr. Peters, a student group opposed to a speaker on college campuses, you think about what happens at Berkeley and so forth, check this out.

'Do you agree or disagree that the student group's actions are acceptable if they resort to violence to prevent a speaker from speaking?' Eighty-one percent disagree that the student groups' actions are acceptable. That's a good, you know, that is a good deal. They shouldn't be violent. I think young people, frankly, with their head screwed on straight, most of them know that. Rudy, close it out.

PETERS: Yes, exactly. This gentleman was 35-years-old. He's not a child. We didn't see him earlier in the day. It is not like we had a dialogue or an issue or a conflict where he discussed some policy issues or stances. I don't know what was in his mind, but you know, the latest report is his mother was with the Democratic club group there in that area and --

INGRAHAM: Now Rudy, we are out of time, but I'll tell you what it is. I don't mean to interrupt you. Let's make it really clear and Congressman Scalise knows this. This is hatred toward Donald Trump and his agenda. That is it. It's not about the country getting better.

It is not about blue-collar workers, wages going up, opportunities for African-Americans. It is destroy him by any means necessary, using any tools, legitimate, illegitimate, most of them just do not care at this point. That's how bad it's gone.

SCALISE: And (inaudible) of democracy too, Laura. They don't respect the things of this country is founded upon.

INGRAHAM: Good point. All right, gentlemen, thank you so much tonight. And joining us now to consider the political calculus of these tactics is Jeffrey Lord, contributing editor to the Americans Spectator, along with former press secretary for the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, Rochelle Ritchie.

Rochelle, I want you to chime in first because we are getting way too close to someone losing his or her life because they stand for a political issue. Your reaction to what happened to Rudy Peters, and this call to such a militant, forceful, aggressive stance in public against people, that people are taking this to the wrong and violent levels. Your reaction?

ROCHELLE RITCHIE, FORMER PRESS SECRETARY, HOUSE DEMOCRATIC POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE: Well, I think what happened to Peters was completely disgusting and it is extremely unfortunate and I remember, you know, being a press secretary at the House when Representative Scalise was actually shot and it was really heartbreaking for everybody on the Hill, whether you were Republican or Democrat.

And I agree with what you said earlier before coming to me, is that, you know, we do have to turn down the rhetoric. And that is clearly on both sides. And I'll be the first to say that I don't think that this is okay for any elected official to promote any kind of violence, whether you are telling people to be punched in the face or whether you are telling people to be followed and harassed because what happened --

INGRAHAM: So you are condemning Maxine Waters. I know you are hating Trump for what he said in 2016 in the campaign trail. Are you condemning Maxine Waters?

RITCHIE: I do not agree that people should be followed and harassed. I certainly do not.

INGRAHAM: All right. OK. All right, well, that's interesting. Jeffrey, your reaction tonight?

JEFFREY LORD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, AMERICAN SPECTATOR: Well, this is disgusting, Laura, and this is a very, very important conversation to be having here. This is what the American left has been over decades and, you know, the topic had changed. They were doing some of these kinds of things, smashing windows in Seattle to protest world trade, and then doing it again another 12 years later or 13 years later to protest occupy Wall Street.

This has been going on and on and on and frankly, leaders in the Democratic Party have got to stand up and rein this in. I mean, we have gone from a Democratic Party where Franklin Roosevelt campaigned on the forgotten men and JFK saying ask what you can do for your country to people just shrugging their shoulders as people go out and commit all kinds of violence and taking a good laugh at Maxine Waters.

I mean, it is pathetic. It is pathetic and it has got to stop or somebody is going to get hurt and Steve Scalise was already hurt.

RITCHIE: Can I say that this is not anything that is just Republican and Democrat because we have to remember what happened to Gabby Giffords as well. This is people that are extreme in their tactics, and extreme in taking violence --

INGRAHAM: So you are talking about Jared -- well, I can't member his name, Jared Loughner. It was initially reported that he was a conservative talk radio listener. False. He was not. This was not -- I believe -- Jeff, correct me if I'm wrong, it was not politically motivated. He was a nut job.

LORD: Right.

INGRAHAM: OK, very different that is violence, period. Condemn it obviously.

RITCHIE: Right.

INGRAHAM: That was not related to political resistance. We are talking about weaponizing political resistance. Jeffrey, last word.

LORD: Yes, this has got to stop and the thing that I am concerned about is precisely because President Trump was a businessman with all these properties all over the country in the world, they are easy targets, and I think that we've to bring this stuff in and rein the rhetoric about Donald Trump in period.

INGRAHAM: I think we found some common ground. Rochelle, Jeffrey, its great to have you both on tonight. I have a question. How are Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton co-opting the tactics of this resistance? Not an encouraging violence but maybe in perpetrating untruths. We'll tell you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: It is bad enough that Democrats are trying to sell as much discord as possible, leading up to the midterms. But now they are reverting to one of their tried-and-true tactics, willfully deceiving their supporters. One of the latest examples, the appalling smears of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Hillary Clinton is following in Senator Kamala Harris's footsteps on twitter, parroting these wildly out of context comments from Judge Kavanaugh on abortion even after they have been exposed as lies. And former President Obama hitting President Trump over his attacks on the press. That's funny. Hypocrisy, galling.

In fact, the "Associated Press" even published a fact-check showcasing the Obama administration's brute force response over leaks to the media. Joining us now with reaction is Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, along with Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright. I wish you guys were both here. It is so lonely in the studio. Neither of you are here.

All right, Antjuan let's start with you. This deal with Brett Kavanaugh, OK. I know people can do this. They can exaggerate claims and so forth, but when it comes to this particular criticism of Kavanaugh, it really is ridiculous. They tried to paint him as someone who was saying that there is a particular abortion drug that was (inaudible) patient, but he was merely quoting the group Priests for Life.

He wasn't saying that it was his opinion. He was summarizing the petitioner's argument in a particular brief he was referencing. But that is not what Kamala Harris said and Hillary Clinton in her tweet said the following, she said, "Kavanaugh didn't use -- no go to the first one. "I want to be sure we are clear about something, that Brett Kavanaugh sat in his confirmation hearings. He referred to birth control pills as abortion and inducing drugs. That set off an alarm bell for me and it should for you, too." Basically later on, saying it's a dog whistle to the right. Do you agree that Hillary Clinton completely mischaracterized, willfully mischaracterized what Kavanaugh said?

ANTJUAN SEAWRIGHT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I won't say that I agree with that notion. What I will say is that I agree that people sometimes have their own way of interpreting things as they hear them or read them. But the bottom line is, the general context was Senator Harris was making and what Secretary Clinton was making.

They were trying to inform the public, the dangerous road we are going down when we are on this road to confirming a judge to the highest court in the land for a lifetime. And I think what they are doing is drawing some real- life examples of why he would be dangerous to women's rights and for the future.

INGRAHAM: OK, so real-life example would not, I imagine, include purposeful distortion of what Judge Kavanaugh actually wrote in an opinion. Matt Schlapp, I find this, of all the things to criticize Kavanaugh -- and I've known him for 30 years, full disclosure -- an incredibly impressive person on every level. An ABA, the gold standard suddenly out the window, supremely well-qualified as what they viewed his tenure as on the district -- the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. But is this where we are now? It's get by any means necessary? If you have to lie about them, do it, because you got to stop his nomination.

MATT SCHLAPP, CHAIRMAN, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION: Yes, this is where we are and you know what, it is sad. I was thinking about -- I was a little bit of a geeky kid, Laura, and I would watch all these confirmation hearings for all these previous nominees to the Supreme Court, and I didn't like all these liberal senators but they would ask real, substantive questions, and it didn't always play fair. But we had a national conversation about, you know, where we wanted the court to be and where we wanted the Constitution to be in our society.

You know, you can have a conversation about Roe v. Wade. I would like to overturn it but you know what, I have known Brett a long time. I have no idea what he's going to do on the Supreme Court when it comes to Roe v. Wade. Let's have that discussion.

But to act like Brett Kavanaugh said anything about his jurisprudence on birth control at the hearing is a lie. So when they go that far, when they tweeted out, and they make it seem so simple, when it's actually very complicated, I think they do a great disservice to all of us because I actually would like to have meaty conversations about these constitutional questions. I think it would be good for America.

SEAWRIGHT: Matt, you say you want to have meaningful conversations but remember, it was your party who would not give President Obama's nominee a hearing to even start the conversation.

SCHLAPP: Yes, and it was a wonderful decision. I love that decision.

SEAWRIGHT: Of course you are. And that is a prime example of hypocrisy at its best. The second thing I would say, you know how important --

Your party doesn't run the Senate now, Antjuan, you don't get to determine when the hearings are.

(CROSSTALK)

SEAWRIGHT: I am highlighting hypocrisy of your party who would not even give President Obama's nominee a hearing, who Democrats and Republicans agree, who was a well-qualified for the bench.

INGRAHAM: Right. Well, Antjuan, you are too young to remember all of this, but I remember a time where George H.W. Bush -- I was in law school -- in one of my former law professors, Lillian BeVier was on a long list of Court of Appeals nominees who were just waiting for a vote. And when Bill Clinton came in, what did he do? I mean, they just stalled and stalled and stalled --

SCHLAPP: In combination with Joe Biden in the Senate.

(CROSSTALK)

INGRAHAM: What is good with the goose is good for the gander. On the scheduling issue, Republicans have suffered from that and Democrats have suffered from the scheduling --

(CROSSTALK)

But we are talking, Antjuan, about an actual confirmation hearing where serious issues are discussed and individuals aren't maligned, either personally or purposely using false smears. That is just not cool on any side.

SEAWRIGHT: Laura, I am all for having a conversation about the nominee and their background. I will tell you like I tell everyone. I have concerns about his history on voter I.D. and his thoughts on ObamaCare. But at the end of the day, you all want -- you and Matt want to talk about the smearing and the rhetoric that comes from certain folks in our party. Look, the Republican Party thrives on misinformation and lies at this point. That is why Donald Trump's base is so popular right now.

INGRAHAM: So Obama and Hillary are back by popular demand, leading the charge for the midterms, both of them are out, fanning out. But for Barack Obama to come out and to trash Donald Trump for being tough on the press, I mean, let's not forget what he did with the -- was it the Sedition Act, and going after all these reporters? Espionage Act, excuse me, going after all these leaks, whistleblowers, and stuff, James Rosen. This was brutal for reporters. He even got a fact-check for that.

SCHLAPP: Totally. There were more constitutional over steps under Obama than we have seen in any other modern presidency.

SEAWRIGHT: Matt.

SCHLAPP: Antjuan, I'm talking now, my friend. I love your voice but I am talking.

SEAWRIGHT: I love hearing yours, too, only the truth, though.

SCHLAPP: And I hope your family is safe down there, by the way.

SEAWRIGHT: Thank you.

SCHLAPP: But seriously, Obama is trying to have it every which way. He comes out and says, what is Trump doing trumpeting this big economy, it's actually my economy. And then on the other step, he is saying, actually the economy isn't that solid. I think the American people are smart. I think the American people get it. Sometimes Republicans look foolish when they try to be too clever. And sometimes Democrats do, too. And I think the American people are smart. Political candidates and parties will be rewarded when they shoot straight. By the way, that is why Donald Trump is being rewarded.

SEAWRIGHT: No, that's why his poll numbers are in the tank and on life support.

INGRAHAM: OK, we are out of time, though. But remember, "The New York Times" editorial board, no big friend of conservatives, said the Obama administration has moved beyond protecting government secrets to threatening fundamental freedoms of the press to gather news. That was from "The New York Times." So I guess it's -- depending on whose ox is being gored here. Guys, thanks so much for joining us tonight.

And coming up, comedian Norm MacDonald gets bumped from "The Tonight Show." Might politics have played a role. And what common device that you might use in the bathroom could make you really sick. All that with Raymond Arroyo, "Seen and Unseen" next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: It's time for our "Seen and Unseen" segment where we explore some of big cultural stories of the day.

Comedian Norm MacDonald had a tonight show appearance nixed after some controversial remarks on the Me Too movement. But that is far from the whole story. Joining us now with more is Raymond Arroyo, Fox News contributor, "New York Times" bestselling author of the "Will Wilder" series. Raymond, I know how the Fallon show canceled Norm MacDonald. Don't know why.

RAYMOND ARROYO, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: NBC says they did it out of sensitivity of the audience. Norm MacDonald did an interview about this new Netflix talk show he is doing, David Letterman is producing. This is hardly a conservative talk show at all. However, he is promoting it and he made comments about the Me Too movement and his friend Roseanne and Louis C.K. And here's what he said. He said, "I'm happy that Me Too movement has slowed down a bit. It used to be 100 women can't be lying. Then it became one woman can't lie. And that became, I believe all women. And then you're like what, like that Chris Hardwick guy? I really thought got the blunt end of the stick there." He went on to say, unlike the victims, his friends, the comedians, suffered more than the victims' did. That he had to apologize for.

INGRAHAM: Not a good comment.

ARROYO: That was over the line. However, there might be another reason that Fallon and "The Tonight Show," -- Jimmy Fallon went to Norm MacDonald and said my producers are in the other room crying so you can't come in the show. He said something about his talk show as opposed to the ones that are already on the air. This is what he said. This might explain his cancellation as well. He said "Ever since Jon Stewart, late night hosts have been forced to become political pundits even down to Jimmy Fallon. And he is derided for his treatment of Donald Trump. And then to be maligned for quote-unquote humanizing Trump, funny. I thought he was human. If you have a nominee for president on your show and he is your guest, then he is your guest."

INGRAHAM: Fallon had to apologize for having Trump on, basically, right?

ARROYO: Right. Remember, he messed up his hair. They say he humanized him. But when we've reached a point where seeing that a president is human, and that's controversial, we really reached a low point. Whether you are watching this Norm MacDonald show or not, Laura, there is a new series on Instagram TV. I know you --

INGRAHAM: I don't even know what that is.

ARROYO: Instagram, it's there new TV service. It's called "Here's the Deal," and it's a 10-episode issues-driven show designed to spur young Americans to vote in the midterms. Who would you think would host such a show, Laura?

INGRAHAM: They asked me and I said no, I'm already busy.

ARROYO: They found the perfect host to attract those young voters, vice president Joe Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: Folks, with less than 100 days until the most consequential election of our lifetime, we have got to keep our eye and the ball. That's why I'm partnering with Attention on IGTV to breakdown the issues we all should be voting on this fall. Not complicated policy wonk language or confusing acronyms. Just facts. At least as I see them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARROYO: I think the upper palate is slipping.

INGRAHAM: Did he say acronyms?

ARROYO: How is this going to attract young voters? I feel like he's about to sell me a reverse mortgage.

INGRAHAM: He's not going to be talking about Democratic dating. He's going to be talking about carbon dating.

(LAUGHTER)

ARROYO: For a moment, I thought he was selling his shares for retirement. But anyway, he went on to talk about one of your favorite issues that will get the young people out to the polls, immigration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: For centuries, our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us this tremendous advantage, we've gotten the best of every nation. We do need to control our border. Every country needs to control their border. But that does not require ripping infants and children from the arms of their parents. This administration has to stop using immigration as a political tool to divide us into us and them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARROYO: Laura, if you're going to do political punditry on Instagram TV, where is the Newt Gingrich channel, the Dick Cheney channel? Have balance.

INGRAHAM: It's all leftwing. These things are all leftwing. They always have been. Social media has been dominated by the left.

ARROYO: Fox Nation is coming.

INGRAHAM: All right, here we come.

ARROYO: Very quickly, the spreading of disease, Laura, in your public bathroom. A new study -- you know those jet spray --

INGRAHAM: I don't like those jet sprays.

ARROYO: It is kind of a cauldron of water. They did a study, "The Journal of Hospital Infection." These are supposedly hygienic. You know what they do? The aerosol bacteria, feces, and, wait for it, e coli into the air. You are actually getting a face full of this stuff.

INGRAHAM: The new facial.

ARROYO: It covers the surfaces. That is one way --

INGRAHAM: Wait a second, did you say "The Journal of Hospital Infection"? Where's my subscription? Who the heck subscribes to that?

ARROYO: When you are crawling in somebody else's feces and e coli, don't use those things there. Here, I'm giving you paper towels. Don't use those jet sprays. They're bad, right in your face. It's horrible.

INGRAHAM: No, no, this is news you can use. Is that the unseen?

ARROYO: That is the unseen.

INGRAHAM: Unseen bacteria.

ARROYO: The unseen is the E. coli growing.

INGRAHAM: All right, well, the east coast is bracing -- which is not funny -- for hurricane Florence and its impact. We are going live to the North Carolina coast with the last-minute prep there, and evacuations are underway, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: This is a Fox News alert. Hurricane Florence is now just 330 miles from the Carolina coastlines, the storm packing soaking rains, high winds, and a punishing storm surge as the initial band starts to hit the east coast. Let's go to FOX News senior correspondent Rick Leventhal live on the ground in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Rick?

RICK LEVENTHAL, FOX NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: And Laura, it's not here yet. What we have instead is a very eerie and surreal quiet. Wrightsville Beach is empty tonight. The lights are on, but nobody's home. The only thing we can hear is the ocean. There have been no vehicles on the roads, no people on the sidewalks. This is the main parking area, that is the fishing pier right there, completely empty, completely quiet. The main drag, north-south, right there.

We saw one vehicle. Let's go back in here, we saw one vehicle with a police car, and they came over and told us, get out of the street, get back in our property. We could stay as long as we stated in the property. There was a mandatory evacuation order. They closed the bridge to Wrightsville Beach at 8:00 so no one else is allowed in here. People can leave if they want to, Laura, but no one can get back in. They think things are going to start getting bad here sometime tomorrow afternoon into tomorrow night. And then of course, Friday, all day, financial hurricane- force went into Saturday.

And the storm surge could be well over our heads where we're standing here if that holds true to that nine to 13 feet prediction. So Wrightsville beach is relatively empty. There are some people here potentially trying to ride this thing out. But if they want to get out, they still can. But time is running out.

INGRAHAM: Rick, thank you so much, and stay very safe out there.

The media and Democrats are wasting no time using hurricane Florence as a political hammer to give them, believe it or not -- of course you can believe it -- against President Trump. It started last night when MSNBC trumpeted a supposed bombshell documentary obtained by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL MADDOW, MSNBC HOST: What this document indicates and what Homeland Security is confirming to us tonight is that nearly $10 million has been taken out of the budget of FEMA right in advance of hurricane season and instead transferred to ICE for what appears to be detention programs for immigrants.

SEN. JEFF MERKLEY, D—OREGON: We are going from the horrendous policy of ripping children out of their parent's arms, and of course we are still trying to unify all those families, to a new strategy of building internment camps that would be funded through the same account that these funds would go to through ICE.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: That does sound like a bombshell and pretty damning, doesn't it. One little problem. It's not true. Homeland Security says that under no circumstances were any disaster relief funding transferred from FEMA to immigration enforcement efforts. FEMA's spokesperson further stated on Twitter that, quote, "After calling Senator Jeff Merkley's staff to inform them of the facts surrounding FEMA budget, we were told it is a TV hit. You take it where you can. Regardless of the facts?" Unbelievable.

Joining us now with reaction is former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Mike, the whole show has been tonight about how low can they go. Remember, Michelle Obama says, when they go low, we go high. That was great, I loved that sentiment. Unfortunately, we keep going lower, and now playing politics with this absurdly dangerous hurricane, and lying. Your reaction tonight?

MIKE HUCKABEE, FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: It gets worse, though, Laura. MSNBC is still running that same story tonight even after it's been discredited. After it's been totally debunked they are still running with it. So it tells you that the facts don't matter. It's all about the politics.

When you have guys like Joe Scarborough saying that President Trump has done more damage to America than the airplanes that flew into the buildings on 9/11, can you imagine what would have been said of a conservative if they said that Barack Obama had done more damage to the country then 9/11 when 3,000 souls were murdered in cold blood? I mean, I can't even begin to get my arms around what that would have been like. So we are dealing with not only the left, but we are dealing with the media that supports it and that is complicit in this kind of outrageous rhetoric against the president and anyone who supports them.

INGRAHAM: Speaking of that word, governor, complicit, this is a headline from "The Washington Post" op-ed by the editorial board. "Another hurricane is about to better our coast. Trump is complicit." Is he actually blowing the winds from the east Atlantic? This is now -- I don't even -- I have lost words to describe how absolutely pathetic, and they are out of ideas, they are out of solutions, this is all the Bezos "Post" has apparently.

HUCKABEE: This is what you find when people are reduced to howling at the moon. And what we basically are seeing with the press is that they cannot stop people from supporting the president, they cannot stop his policies from working with high employment, with low unemployment, with pay raises and bonuses and businesses coming back and manufacturing returning.

INGRAHAM: Do you think they want the economy to recover?

HUCKABEE: And they cannot stand it.

INGRAHAM: Governor, I'm sorry to interrupt. Do you think they really want the country to succeed? Look at what is happening with blue-collar jobs and wages. This should be a moment of rare unity, frankly, for the country. Do you think they want it to succeed?

HUCKABEE: No, they don't. Bill Maher was pretty honest when he said he hopes there is a recession, that it crashes the economy. He says that's the only way we can get rid of Donald Trump. He was at least honest about it. The others just aren't.

When Barack Obama was president, I didn't like his policies, but I didn't like them because of what they were doing to America. If they had worked and if we had a bunch of people that were prospering under the president, when Obama was there, I wouldn't have complained about it. I would have said, hey, maybe we're wrong, good for him. I even said that when he was first elected, that I hoped he was successful. And I meant it. But we don't have that from the left right now, and we don't have it from the press, but then again, I repeat myself.

INGRAHAM: Governor Huckabee, it's great to have you on tonight. Thank you so much.

And by the way, you've heard from the pollsters, you've heard from the pundits, and of course the Trump haters. But do you really hear enough from real America? Up next, we take you to Ohio where a small businessman tells us what the experts are missing about this economy. Stay there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: The economy just keeps booming. You keep thinking it can't get higher, well, guess what. The Census Bureau revealed that middle-class income hit an all-time high of $61,372 last year. Yet no matter how much good news there is about wages, jobs, or unemployment, nothing can satisfy President Trump's haters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACOB SOBOROFF, MSNBC CORRESPONDENT: People are all still looking for good jobs, so to hear the president think that talking about how strong the economy is is going to help him win these midterm districts is foolish.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: It's foolish. The economy, it can't be that great. A lot of these people don't have jobs. Brilliant analysis as always.

Let's just turn off that noise for a few moments and here from an actual American who is reaping the fruits of this great economy. Joining us now is it Steve Staub. He's the president of Staub Manufacturing Solutions in Dayton, Ohio. Steve, it's great to have you here. And you actually are a working class American, and you beg to differ with Mr. Soboroff who basically says, waives it off. It is not all that great. I wouldn't run on this economy. Steve?

STEVE STAUB, STAUB MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS: That is not what we are seeing here in manufacturing in Dayton, Ohio. Thanks for having me here. Just here in the Dayton area we have over 4,000 jobs available in the manufacturing industry that we can't fill.

INGRAHAM: So you have 4,000 openings. That means people even without special skills can start at a wage of I believe about $15 an hour. And so you don't have to go to college, you can get on the job training. That is just fantastic news for the country. We need more workers and more people willing to work for these jobs.

STAUB: We do. And the manufacturing industry throughout the United States is over half a million jobs available today. Many companies like us, we pay for education with a starting wage of $15 an hour. And if you need further training, we'll send you to a school or send you to a training program to get the skills you need.

INGRAHAM: Explain what the economy is like for your company today versus, let's say, five years ago.

STAUB: Five years ago, we were struggling. The entire industry was struggling at the time. Just as recent as the end of 2016 we had just over 20 people. It had like, 23 people. Today we have 41 people. We have seen the industry overall growing, and the optimism throughout the industry. There was a survey not too long ago by the National Association of Manufacturers that showed over a 95 percent optimism in that manufacturing industry for the growth of the industry. It's exciting times.

INGRAHAM: It's really exciting. And it stands in sharp contrast to what President Obama said back in June of 2016. Let's take a walk down memory lane together, Steve. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Some of those jobs of the past are just not going to come back. He just says, I'm going to negotiate a better deal. Well, how exactly are you going to negotiate that? What magic wand do you have? And usually the answer is he doesn't have an answer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Steve, your reaction?

(LAUGHTER)

STAUB: I remember that. I'm excited to see their jobs have come back. I'm excited to see policies that are coming out of the administration that are beneficial to the manufacturing industry and beneficial to the country as a whole and helping our industry grow.

INGRAHAM: Do you hope the Republicans and Democrats can come together and keep this economy going? Or are you hoping for a blue wave?

STAUB: I don't see politics in the manufacturing industry. There really shouldn't be. The only red or blue in the industry is the flag that flies on every shop floor.

INGRAHAM: God bless you. I love that sentiment. We need more of it. Steve, thanks so much, and congrats on a great, great turnout for your company. Keep it going.

And coming up, Joy Behar shoots her mouth off again and immediately regrets her decision. The last bite next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: It's time now for the last bite.

Joy Behar of "The View" is at it again. We are used to her unhinged political rants, but today she somehow managed to outdo herself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": They show them the facts, he disputes it, he lies. He's a sociopath. If he lives another 20 years, God forbid -- not that. If he loves another 20 years, he could be like, 105. I don't wish the president now. I really don't. I just want him out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: And Trump is the sociopath, the problem? OK, it's a rare moment of self-awareness. Congrats, Joy. The name Joy just brings Joy, doesn't it?

That's all the time we have tonight. Shannon Bream and the fantastic "Fox News @ Night" team are up next.

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