Biden pushes back after being called out by Washington Post for fabricating war story

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Biden pushes back after being called out by Washington Post for fabricating war story

Biden campaign in non-stop damage control; reaction from Fox News contributor Doug Schoen and Washington Examiner senior campaign reporter Kerry Picket.

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," August 30, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

JASON CHAFFETZ, HOST: Welcome to the special edition of “Hannity: Issues Confronting America.” I'm Jason Chaffetz, in tonight for Sean.

The fallout continues tonight from the scathing inspector general report on former FBI Director James Comey. It exposed him as a liar, leaker, and it is grace over his handling of sensitive and in some cases classified memos about conversations with President Donald Trump.

But don't take my word for it. Just look at how Comey was described by Inspector General Horowitz who wrote that Comey set a dangerous example for the 35,000 current FBI employees. He added that Comey's handling of memos was part of an effort to create public pressure for a, quote, personally desired outcome, ultimately concluding that Comey failed to live up to his responsibilities as director.

And it gets even worse because Comey's own closest advisors described their reaction to his conduct as surprised, stunned, and shocked after learning about the leaks.

Now, of course, James Comey thinks the rules don't apply to him and is even demanding an apology, prompting his series of responses including from former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who tweeted many employees dislike supervisors but most keep faith with government institutions and linking to a 2016 piece titled "James Comey's Abusive Power".

And President Trump also weighed in. He wrote the fact that James Comey would not prosecute for the absolutely horrible things that he did just shows how fair and reasonable Attorney General Bill Barr is. So many people and experts that I have watched and read would have taken an entirely different course. Comey got lucky.

And while Comey may have escorted prosecution on this narrow issue, serious potential legal troubles still loom because remember, yesterday's report was narrow in scope and just a small part of what is coming in the weeks ahead. Two other ongoing probes led by Horowitz and U.S. Attorney John Durham are leaking at serious allegations of FISA abuse and the real origins of the Russia probe.

Don't forget, James Comey swore that the evidence in the FISA application and multiple renewals was true and accurate. But the evidence was not true and it was not accurate. And it was never verified.

So day by day, we are inching closer and closer to truth and justice to hold those that abuse power accountable. And James Comey, the self- proclaimed super patriot, has been exposed as a corrupt, deep state bureaucrat, whose higher loyalty is to nobody but himself.

Joining me now for a reaction to all of this is former congressman and FOX News contributor Trey Gowdy. I served with Mr. Gowdy on the Congress, and it was a pleasure to do so.

And, Trey, I appreciate you coming here. I still -- I love the glasses. It's a good look. It's a good look.

TREY GOWDY, CONTRIBUTOR: I love you too, Jason. Thank you. Thank you.

CHAFFETZ: Thank you.

You've read through the report. You've dealt personally with Mister -- Director Comey called me over a series of years. What's your takeaway from what Mr. Horowitz concluded?

GOWDY: Well, he is a two-time offender. Remember, Horowitz also is dinged him for his handling of the Clinton email investigations. So, now, how he gets dinged in the other major cases he handled in 2016.

I never said Comey would or should go to jail. I'm certainly not going to apologize to anyone who violated FBI and Department of Justice policy, who violated an employment agreement, who shared sensitive information about an ongoing investigation, who sent classified information to an unauthorized person and then had amnesia when the FBI came to his home to try to retrieve government property.

I'm not going to apologize but I will give him a piece of unsolicited advice. Jason, you referenced Comey's obsession with his higher ethical standings than the rest of us have. So here's my advice: you should aspire to more in life than simply skating by without having been indicted. If that is your goal in life to just not meet every essential element of a criminal offense and you think you should be congratulated and apologized to for simply because you were not indicted, you better give back some of those higher loyalties speaking fees.

CHAFFETZ: Yes, you know, it's interesting this little nuance part about when the FBI did go to his home. You know, as an FBI director, he does get a SCIF, as secured compartmental information facility, but he evidently took this information and didn't keep it there. He kept it in his own personal safe supposedly.

That's a real problem, right? Imagine if every federal employee did that.

GOWDY: Well, it's not a problem if you consider it to be your own personal diary. So, I mean, it depends on what the record said. To the record say, dear diary, Congress was mean to me today but I didn't get talk to the president, that might be a personal diary.

That's not what this was. He is talking to his boss. He's talking to the head of the executive branch and then he memorializes it into public record. No matter what he calls it, that record belongs to the United States. So, he can call it a diary like a birthday card and other correspondence but nobody other than Jim Comey considers that to be personal.

CHAFFETZ: But do you think there was the accountability and the consequence? You know, the criticism here is that if somebody else had done this, they would be in handcuffs. They would be going to jail.

But is Lady Justice being fair and right here? And did he -- is he being held accountable?

GOWDY: Well, Jason, I'm very sensitive to that. When our fellow citizens think we have a two-track justice system, either for the famous or the not famous or the rich or the poor, then we are in trouble as a republic.

I would tell my fellow citizens this, we have to have other ways of meeting on a calendar ability other than simply indictments. You know, Hillary Clinton was never indicted. She was never charged, therefore never guilty of a crime, but yet the American jury in 2016 meted out a consequence.

Jim Comey, whether he likes it or not, all of his past in the Southern District of New York, all of his past at Main Justice, all of his time as an FBI director, some of which I agreed with, all of that will be forgotten. Gone and history will be all of our judges but they will judge Jim Comey based on the fact that he got dinged on both of the major investigations he was handling in 2016 by the inspector general. That will be the accountability and that's what history will remember about Jim Comey.

CHAFFETZ: Last quick question for you. Mr. Comey actually expects you to apologize. Are you ready to apologize tonight?

GOWDY: What temperature is it in hell right now? Is it snowing?

When it snows in hell, you let me know. Why would I apologize to somebody who has been dinged on both of the major investigations by a guy like Michael Horowitz who is hardly a Republican? He was picked by Obama and confirmed by the Senate, I think without a dissenting vote.

CHAFFETZ: Yes.

GOWDY: That's who said he was screwed up, Jim Comey. It wasn't a Republican congressman.

CHAFFETZ: Yes. No, a couple --

(CROSSTALK)

CHAFFETZ: I think you and I were both on that bandwagon but you're right. Horowitz, an impeccable credential appointed by Obama and confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate. Even Comey praised the inspector general. He's now been on the receiving end of two inspector general reports and more to come.

GOWDY: Two, he's a two-time career offender.

CHAFFETZ: Yes.

GOWDY: Three strikes and you're out.

CHAFFETZ: That's right. Well, he's out now, thank goodness. Mr. Gowdy, thank you again for joining us.

GOWDY: Agreed. Thank you.

CHAFFETZ: Now yesterday's rebuke of James Comey was just a narrow sliver of what's to come because Michael Horowitz is still such to release his wider probe into FISA abuse, and U.S. Attorney John Durham is currently investigating serious irregularities in the handling of the FBI's original Russia investigation.

Plus, sources tell Fox News that prosecutors are nearing a decision on whether to charge a former FBI Director Andrew McCabe, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe on charges of lying to federal agents.

Joining me now for a reaction to all of this is former Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker.

Matt, we appreciate you joining us here tonight.

MATT WHITAKER, FORMER ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Glad to be with you.

CHAFFETZ: First, I want to get your take on this report from the inspector general. As Trey Gowdy pointed out, this is the second time he's been on the receiving end of this. But what's your takeaway from the findings by the inspector general?

WHITAKER: Well, the inspector general I think really laid out a very clear case as to Jim Comey as director of the FBI, choosing his own personal interests and his personal desires over that of the interest of the Department of Justice and the FBI. You know, many of us that served with Jim Comey in the Bush administration heard him give a speech about a reservoir of trust that was so hard to fill and so easy to spill, and I'm just reminded every time I see one of these Jim Comey I.G. reports is that he kicked over that reservoir of trust that so many had contributed to making sure the Department of Justice was above reproach and had a great reputation.

And so, it's really -- it's a shame but at the same time, it's just on the reason that it was good for the president to fire Jim Comey as the FBI director.

CHAFFETZ: I think it was unexpected by most that the inspector general did a separate report on just Mr. Comey. Most people didn't think that was coming and I certainly paid as close attention is anybody out there.

And so, it's interesting, what does that portend for, say, Andrew McCabe and that case moving forward?

WHITAKER: So the inspector general's report on McCabe is already out, and his -- it lays out a very clear case as to both why he was terminated and why a lot of folks expected he is going to be charged by the district -- of the District of Columbia and the U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu because it is -- can you know, his lack of candor to the FBI agents and several kinds having the opportunity to be honest with what happened to end his role in leaking classified information is I think a very important inflection point in this whole story.

And if you look at the McCabe situation, together with the Comey situation and both of those in inspector general reports, you see a culture of leaking that was systemic -- and if you remember in the McCabe case, there was about 15 ongoing leak investigations at the time. And these FBI investigators had to be frustrated when the acting director of the FBI, who had been the deputy director, wouldn't tell the truth when they knew based on what Ms. Page was telling them that McCabe was the one who authorized her to leak this information.

CHAFFETZ: Yes, and you had the deputy assistant director, not Mr. McCabe, another person, who is rebuked by the inspector general by taking sealed court documents and releasing those. Department of justice refused to prosecute that person as well.

Bring in to me -- take your analysis if you will of how this relates to General Flynn because Flynn is sitting here over on the sideline saying, hey, what about me? I'm about to get sentence over here. You prosecuted me, how come you're not prosecuting them?

WHITAKER: Yes, and General Flynn's situation is interesting because both McCabe and Comey were involved in it and come coming out even said that he took advantage of an early administration that it was just getting organized and went into a situation and told his investigators to go in and interview General Flynn, and then McCabe told Flynn that they didn't need the White House counsel there.

And, you know, there's a lot of these names, Strzok, McCabe, that were all a part of this Flynn investigation and now, I see today's headlines that the new defense team is having a hard time getting some key documents in this. And so, I think we're going to learn a lot more about the Flynn case and together with the origins of this investigation that you mentioned, Durham is looking into, the U.S. attorney from Connecticut.

And I still think we need full transparency and the only way we are going to refill that reservoir of trust of the FBI and the DOJ is full transparency and accountability.

CHAFFETZ: Yes, and the inspector general is bringing us closer to that. I appreciate your expertise and insight. I also think it's fascinating that the field office wasn't delegated to do this type of work, that they essentially took this group of, you know, Never Trumpers, hate Trumpers, even taking people like Mr. Ohr who was in charge of OCDETF, you know, dealing with drug issues --

WHITAKER: Yes.

CHAFFETZ: -- brought into -- it's a very eclectic group, but they had one thing in common: they all hated Donald Trump and I think that's --

WHITAKER: Yes. And just very quickly, Jason, that's exactly why we need to always follow a regular order at the Department of Justice and have field offices and not appoint special counsels.

CHAFFETZ: Yes.

WHITAKER: And let the people that are the professionals do the work.

CHAFFETZ: Yes. Matt, thank you very much.

WHITAKER: Thank you.

CHAFFETZ: Last night, Congressman Devin Nunes told Sean that yesterday's inspector general findings were a building block for a larger criminal referral. He has sent to the Department of Justice. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DEVIN NUNES, R-CALIF.: I believe what today is, is another example. It's a building block. It's important information. So, specifically, the House Intelligence Committee Republicans have referred to the Department of Justice criminal referrals based on conspiracy.

Now, with that said, looking at this, what do we now know today? A very important piece of evidence that I think was lost on a lot of people. James Comey came and briefed the Congress in early July of 2017. He then went to brief the President-elect Trump. The inspector general found that he was acting as parts of the investigation.

So, Comey himself was involved in the investigation, followed up with a Crossfire Hurricane team that was running the investigation of the president and his team. They actually determine the classification of this.

So very important pieces of evidence that would build into the conspiracy complaints that we have sent to the Department of Justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHAFFETZ: I think Devin Nunes makes very good points.

Of course, the damning findings fall on deaf ears of the Democrats who continue to stoke unfounded impeachment fantasies against the president.

Joining me now with the reaction is Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs and California Congressman Tom McClintock, two of the best in Congress, I know because I had a chance to serve with them in Congress.

And I thank you, gentlemen, for joining us here tonight.

Very quickly, starting with Mr. McClintock, I want to get your reaction to this report. What is it really tell us?

REP. TOM MCCLINTOCK, R-CALIF.: Well, it's as Devin Nunes says, one small piece of a much larger picture and I think the reason why Comey is not being prosecuted for mishandling classified information is mainly because that is a very minor question compared to the much -- more important challenge to our very fundamental principles of democracy.

We loaned to our intelligence and justice agencies the most terrifying powers that we can confer on government. They've got the power to destroy any person they choose. They can launch paramilitary predawn raids on your home, they can throw you in jail, they can bankrupt you, they can ruin your business, they can threaten your family members. These are awesome powers.

And as more and more evidence comes out, it's becoming clearer and clearer that this whole Russian narrative was formed by a phony dossier financed by the Clinton campaign and then used in collusion with our justice and intelligence agencies to justify an investigation, a completely phony investigation that they then could lead to the press. That was used during the 2016 campaign to create the official patina of legitimacy to this Russian collusion narrative.

And when that failed to influence the election, they then used it for the last two years to undermine this president. That's the real question and those are the reports that are yet to come out.

CHAFFETZ: I think that is one of the emerging stories here, is that our own FBI was using the power of the press to move an agenda, a personal agenda forward and that's why leaking unauthorized to move a personal political agenda is so and so, so dangerous.

Now, I do notice that Jim Jordan is the ranking member on the Oversight Committee, as well as Mark Meadows, have sent a letter asking Elijah Cummings to bring out that Mr. Horowitz and half at hearing about his findings. Is anything moving like that Congressman Biggs over judiciary? Is Jerry -- I haven't seen Jerry Nadler put out an issue, a call to have a hearing with Horowitz and find out what's going on at the Department of Justice.

REP. ANDY BIGGS, R-ARIZ: Well, you know, Mr. Nadler probably doesn't want to find out because every time he turns around, something that he has built his impeachment foundation on gets washed away underneath the foundation. So, the Mueller report was the dud that it was. The inspector general reported coming out and basically is debunking and shaming Mr. Comey are very important.

And, you know, the one thing that I think that Nadler really doesn't want to get into is when the I.G. says that Mr. Comey was doing this and leaking to promote a personal motivated agenda, that personally motivated agenda was basically to impeach -- to provide material to impeach Donald Trump or to cause him to come under scrutiny in this investigation. He wanted a special counsel appointed.

That special counsel was Robert Mueller. And the Mueller investigation was supposed to provide the reason to remove Donald Trump and it didn't happen. So, I don't think Jerry Nadler is going to come around on this.

CHAFFETZ: Yes, I don't see him scrambling to hold a hearing on this. I've only got 30 seconds or so but I want to get both of your reactions. Jerry Nadler is sending out fund-raising emails saying that impeachment proceedings have begun.

What's your take on that? Is this formal, informal? What's going on with impeachment and Jerry Nadler, Congressman McClintock?

MCCLINTOCK: I think he is going to look sillier and sillier as more and more facts come out from the remaining inspector general's report, as well as the full investigation by John Durham.

CHAFFETZ: Congressman Biggs?

BIGGS: Yes, Jason, there's nothing formal done. Jerry Nadler knows that, but this is his narrative and he's been saying it for six months once the day he was made chairman of this committee. So, he is just kind of constructing his own pathway to try to impeach President Trump without going through the real formal motions.

CHAFFETZ: Yes, we've got to impeach him and now, we've got to go find evidence but it's getting even worse when the inspector general saying -- is debunking the head of the FBI with such clarity as Mr. Horowitz did.

Congressman, thank you so much for joining us. Have a good Labor Day weekend.

BIGGS: Thank you.

CHAFFETZ: Coming up, yesterday's inspector general report was also a major indictment of the Obama-Biden legacy. And I'll explain.

Now, we also have big breaking news in the Kate Steinle case. This will tick you off. Gregg Jarrett and Ken Starr and Kim Strassel all weight next.

And, later, we are keeping an eye on Hurricane Dorian. It's affecting millions of people and a lot of you in Florida and Georgia and South Carolina as it heads towards the United States. It has just been upgraded to an extremely dangerous category four. A full report coming out as this special edition of HANNITY. continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHAFFETZ: This is a Fox News alert. We have big breaking news tonight in the Kate Steinle case.

David Spunt is live in Washington with all of the details -- David.

DAVID SPUNT, CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Jason.

This was the only state conviction remaining against Jose Ines Garcia Zarate. Today, the first district court of appeal in California threw out that conviction.

Thirty-two-year-old Kate Steinle was walking on a San Francisco pier with her dad and in a family friend in July 2015. Authorities say that's when Garcia Zarate shot and killed Steinle. His defense, he picked up a gun wrapped in a t-shirt and then fired accidentally.

Well, the gun belonged to a ranger with the Bureau of Land Management in California and was stolen several days before Steinle's death. Garcia Zarate was acquitted of the 32-year-old's murder back in 2017. He was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and Jason, that is what was thrown out today.

Now, Garcia Zarate in the U.S. illegally at the time of the shooting. He's from Mexico and was deported there several times in the past. Now, we are learning that a judge failed to instruct jury on Garcia Zarate's defenses. Now, this doesn't mean that he's walking the streets. He is in custody to you tonight.

Jason, he is still facing federal gun charges. There is a trial set to begin at the beginning of next year. Back to you.

CHAFFETZ: Still disgusting. But, David, thank you for that update.

Now, as I detailed in a new piece for FoxNews.com, two and a half year long Russian hoax and yesterday's Comey report exposed how the lasting Obama- Biden legacy is the weaponization of our most powerful agencies for political purposes. Esteemed government institutions long considered immune from the day-to-day political jousting are now at risk of becoming arms of those seeking to undermine the president.

Joining me now for a reaction is author of the upcoming -- you are going to want to get this. This is going to be a good one, "The Witch Hunt", Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett is with us. Along with former independent counsel and Fox News contributor, Judge Ken Starr. And Fox News contributor and columnist for "The Wall Street Journal," Kimberley Strassel.

Kimberley, I want to -- I want to start with you because, you know, one of my concerns is that between the FBI, the Department of Justice, the Federal Reserve now -- we have had this, the IRS, the politics injected into these institutions and it's toxic.

KIMBERLEY STRASSEL, CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, it goes on and on, too, and it really did take off under the Obama administration. Think of you just mention the IRS and the targeting of so many key parties that were out there. Think of the Department of Justice even prior to this current circumstance, but back when it was forcing companies into settlements and then distributing the money from a slush fund out to liberal interest groups.

These are not the sort of things that give Americans the belief that justice or the instruction of basic parts of our economy are being done in a nonpartisan and fair fashion, and I think that that was part of the attitude by the way that led to the situation in which Comey and an entire group of around him felt as though none of the rules applied to them and that they could do what they wanted.

CHAFFETZ: Yes. Judge Starr and Gregg Jarrett are joining here in studio.

Judge, how do you -- there has been this sort of culture that has cultivated along the way that says, you know what, I have a higher purpose and I think doing for the country is right. I don't need to pay attention to these things.

How do you put that genie back in the bottle?

KENNETH STARR, CONTRIBUTOR: It's above the law. So we need reform leadership and a return to these fundamental principles of integrity and that we're all under the law. I mean, this is --

CHAFFETZ: But can you do that if you're not prosecuting people? I mean, what I see is the Department of Justice not prosecuting people.

STARR: Yes, but prosecution is the ultimate kind of weapon but is not the only kind of weapon in the arsenal. It's having people of integrity in the job, and it turns out and I love the way that Trey Gowdy put it, the two- time, as it were, convicted person in James Comey who clearly viewed himself, and apparently still does, is above the rules, because, what, he had an higher noble purpose. It's a very dangerous precedent as Michael Horowitz, the inspector general, so well put it.

We need a good, honest leadership. I think it's really as simple as that, because the FBI agents, those 35,000 people --

CHAFFETZ: Right.

STARR: -- re good people. They're honest and honorable people but we had released some very, very poor leaders at the top, including James Comey.

CHAFFETZ: Gregg, my grandfather was a career FBI agent. He spent decades in that service and I think he would look at that and not be able to recognize it. I think he would be ashamed of what's going on.

You have dove as deep as anybody I know in the details of this. It's not just Mr. Comey. That's the problem. It's seeped -- it has seeped far into the institution.

GREGG JARRETT, LEGAL ANALYST: It's endemic, look at what the inspector general report said. Horowitz said, look, this is sending a dangerous message, his conduct was dangerous.

So, what do we have? We have a guy who barely avoided criminal charges for theft of government documents and leaking a classified document, and there are no consequences for him. You know, And he is out there pedaling his book which is Hoot and Holler if you actually read it.

And making millions of dollars off of it and then, you know it's only the insufferably self-right justice James Comey would have the audacity to tweet out a demand for the equivalence of apology as if he is gloating that he beat the rash.

James Comey, Andrew McCabe and Lisa Page have set an extraordinary standard that I fear that others in the federal agencies will now follow that you can break the law with impunity and you will not be held accountable.

CHAFFETZ: Now Kim, you wrote a piece for "The Wall Street Journal" the sneaky leaky James Comey. You write it as only you do. It's a fabulous piece but share with the viewers your take on specific to James Comey?

STRASSEL: Well, look. I think one of the problems here - we have had a lot of discussion to on this program about accountability and I can understand the frustration with Americans who believe that these folks are not being held to account.

I would like to remind everyone though that Jim Comey was in fact fired in disgrace from his FBI position which is a measure of accountability and I also would like to remind people that we need to look at, because this is how we started this argument, to the people who put Jim Comey into office.

When Barack Obama nominated him we had "The Wall Street Journal" ran an editorial saying do not confirm this guy. He has a history of sanctimony. He has a history of thinking that he gets to run things the way he wants to run things and you know; don't give this guy in charge of such a powerful agency and unfortunate, not heated.

But we need to go back to the nominations and confirmations process that's supposed to make sure that we get the kind of incredibly careful people that Mr. Starr was just talking about. It failed in this process and the people who voted for him and nominated him, they need to be held to some account, too.

CHAFFETZ: And judge anything Gregg, real quickly, we are past our time here but last parting thoughts on this IG report.

STARR: I think Michael Horowitz the Inspector General has once again and performed a magnificent service. No one is saying this report is weak, it is somehow factually flawed. He has in fact held Jim Comey accountable.

JARRETT: James Comey it is now indisputable as a symbol of corruption and malevolence and the sad part to all of this is that there are a great many people just like him Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, the list goes on in. Brennan, Clapper, I think we only know the tip of the iceberg. Lots more to come. Stay tuned.

CHAFFETZ: There is more to come. Kim, Gregg, Judge, thank you very much. Up next, Hurricane Dorian has just been upgraded to a category four hurricane. We have the latest from the Fox News Weather Center and then you won't believe what one Former Prime Minister said about the Hurricane we'll explain as this "Hannity Special" continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHAFFETZ: This is a Fox News Alert. Hurricane Dorian is strengthening over the Atlantic and is currently a category four hurricane. Adam Klotz is live in the Fox News Weather Center with the latest. Adam.

ADAM KLOTZ, CONTRIBUTOR: Hey there Jason. Yes, this just intensifying here in the last couple of hours last hour actually you can see very powerful storm any time you get a strong eye wall like that. That indicates strong storm winds of 130 miles an hour gusting up to a 140.

It's moving off towards the west at 10 miles an hour. This storm is going to be bearing down on the Bahamas over the next couple of days likely making that trip over the Bahamas getting into Monday during the day before eventually approaching the coast of the United States.

The likely late Monday night really getting more so into Tuesday though once we make landfall it's likely going to take a very steep turn to the north and then run to the north before eventually weakening down to a category two but this is a very wide area.

So there is still a lot of uncertainty about what exactly is going to happen once we reach the Bahamas so we have a pretty good idea of this storm making this move and then is it going to shoot off into the Gulf of Mexico or is it going to turn up the center of the state or is it going to run up the east coast?

Jason, we are trending more and more that this is going to run up the east coast of Florida but again, still days and days away so it is something we will be watching. Jason.

CHAFFETZ: Florida and Georgia watch out. Adam, thank you very much. With Hurricane Dorian bearing down on the coast of Florida and Georgia President Trump canceled a planned trip to Poland. So he can stay in the United States to monitor the storm. Good call Mr. President.

Some of the left however are hoping for a destruction including former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell who tweeted about the storm "I'm rooting for a direct hit on Mar-a-Lago" She later apologized and deleted the tweets of course.

Joining us now with reaction is Author of "Taken for Granted", Fox News Political Analyst Gianno Caldwell and Trump 2020 National Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. Kayleigh, I want to go to you first, I mean on the scale of disgusting does it get any worse than this?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, TRUMP 2020 CAMPAIGN NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY: I would like to say no, it doesn't get worse than this but I think it's equally as bad. What we see coming from the left consistently. It's not just the Prime Minister rooting for devastation, a category four hurricane hitting Florida but as you recall you had Johnny Depp rooting for assassination of the President.

Kathy Griffin holding out the Presidents head I mean these people are sick in the head. This Prime Minister, this is disgusting but it comes in a long line and a long pattern of leftist saying things like I want to blow up the White House which is what Ashley Judd said so it's a consistent pattern here.

CHAFFETZ: Now Gianno her justification, I mean, she didn't pull it down right away her part of her justification was that President Trump is not doing enough for climate change and when he change the methane rules now she wants people to be killed and destroyed and property and destruction on the United States of America on the scale of disgusting as I asked Kayleigh, how do you read this?

GIANNO CALDWELL, POLITICAL ANALYST: Bubonic plague. I mean at this point, when considering world leaders criticize the President all the time. We understand that but it's interesting to see a quote on quote ally of our country wish debt on Americans and this has become extraordinarily problematic and what we seen especially with Canada.

And I think this is indicative of what we saw with USMCA. They don't like that we have a President that has created an American first policies and who is looking out for our country first and foremost. As you all know, we have a trade deficit with Canada in the billions and we are correcting that right now.

And we have a President who is not going to lie down so I expect more world leaders are going to criticize this President but he is going to continue to work for the American people and choose us first before any other country.

CHAFFETZ: Now Kayleigh, this Former Prime Minister is one of the shortest terms I think it was like five months or so I may be get the timing wrong. Discredited, I mean she was one of the worst Prime Ministers they ever had I doubt many Americans even remember who she is but she is working for Justin Trudeau.

And she has the job right now picking who is going to be the next I think Supreme Court Justice there in Canada. I don't understand how they do their legal system there but I've heard nothing from Justin Trudeau paired what's your message to the current Prime Minister?

MCENANY: The current Prime Minister should chastise her and ask for her resignation. As Gianno points out, Canada is our ally here. To have someone sitting in the seat a government as you noted rooting for the debts of people in our country is unacceptable language. A language like this should have consequences and stepping down or resignation is the least of those consequences that she should endure.

CHAFFETZ: And Gianno, I mean we've heard people rooting against our economy because they want the economy to go south so people would suffer. So that Donald Trump isn't reelected again. Mr. Cho passed away.

You had people cheering that on as if that was some sort of - any sort of justification for that. But how do we call that out? How do we say enough is enough, can we just argue about the actual policy as opposed to death destruction and hardship for other people?

CALDWELL: We are actually doing it right now here on our own Fox News and I'm thankful that I have colleagues that continue to call out this mess on a day-to-day basis and interestingly enough. When considering the fact that our economy is the best in my lifetime and will continue to be the best.

You've got more Americans working than ever before you got 7 million job opening and not enough people to fill them. This President has done a tremendous job for our economy. He's going to continue to do a tremendous job for our economy.

And he's going to call out this nonsense when it appears and that's one of the things that I like about President Trump he is not going to sit down and take it as we have seen with other individuals that have led in this office and that includes Republicans and Democrats. So this is a new time for us and we are going to continue to fight for it because we are not taking it anymore.

CHAFFETZ: Listen Canada is our friend, it's our neighbor, we love these people and you know what? I've seen hurricanes in the past come I remember when Houston happened it was devastating but you know what I saw Americans come together. It didn't matter red, blue, what side of the political spectrum. They all came together and that's the type of thing knowing that this hurricane is hitting and devastating people first to the Bahamas and then it is coming to the United States.

We pulled together as an American people and that is a population here on earth. That's the way at least it should be. I thank you both for joining us. Kayleigh and Gianno thank you very much. I appreciate it. Have a good holiday weekend.

CALDWELL: Thank you.

MCENANY: Thank you.

CHAFFETZ: Coming up on this "Hannity Special", Joe Biden is pushing back after being called out for his latest gaffes we have the tape. Stay with us as this "Hannity Special" continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHAFFETZ: Welcome back to the special edition of "Hannity". Tonight, Joe Biden is pushing back after "The Washington Post" accused him of telling a false war story while on the campaign trail in New Hampshire about a medal pinning during a 2008 trip to Afghanistan. Listen to his defense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I was making a point about how courageous these people are. How incredible they are. This generation of warriors, these fallen angels we've lost and so that I don't know what the problem is I mean, what is it that is that I said wrong?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Based on interviews with more than a dozen U.S. troops their commanders and Biden campaign officials, it appears as though the Former Vice President has jumbled elements of at least three actual events into one story of bravery, compassion, and regret that never happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHAFFETZ: As he said according to the post, Biden "Jumbled elements of at least three events into one story and confused it with the pinning of an army staff sergeant on a different occasion". Meanwhile, Senator Elizabeth Warren's campaign is picking up some speed drawing larger crowds at her events and arrivals are taking notice reportedly stepping up their opposition research efforts against her.

Joining me now with the reaction is Fox News Contributor and Former Clinton Pollster Doug Schoen and Washington Examiner Senior Campaign Reporter and SiriusXM Host Kerry Picket. Thank you both for joining us here tonight.

Doug, I want to go to you first because you are sitting with me here in the New York. This seems to be a pattern. When you make a mistake or you gaffe or you got the wrong story hey you know I'm sorry. Biden didn't apologize but he is still mystified as to why he's been called out on this?

DOUG SCHOEN, CONTRIBUTOR: Let me give you the underlying strategy. He's made gaffe after gaffe yet his poll numbers remain strong and I think he figures and his campaign team figures that rather than try to correct every factual and accuracy, he can at least for now get through the next few weeks and hopefully for him the primaries at least the first feel without being held accountable. Whether that will continue is another problem and question.

CHAFFETZ: Now Kerry, he said, Mr. Biden the Former Vice President said God's truth, my word as a Biden I mean, he went all out there to tell people how incredibly true this was but it simply wasn't.

KERRY PICKET, WASHINGTON EXAMINER SENIOR CAMPAIGN REPORTER: I'm having some problems when people go around saying well, this is just another gaffe but the problem here is that Biden has had this in made ability since he has been running for office two notches conflates but to embellish and very often lie about stories over the years of weather in 1987 where he said I marched with the Civil Rights Movement. No, he didn't.

You know, where he said that he was shot at in the Green Zone in Iraq. No, that didn't happen then he ended up having to revise that saying that he was near someplace where shot landed. See, Joe Biden seems to think that the truth just isn't good enough on the campaign trail and that he has to sort of jazz it up a bit.

So it's one thing to have gaffe and not know where you are and mess up a city. It's another thing to sort of really make things that really didn't happen and say well this actually happened and that something that people really need to start thinking about with Joe Biden.

CHAFFETZ: I think he has got his hands full particularly with Elizabeth Warren moving ahead but Doug how long can Joe Biden go without the endorsement of Barack Obama?

I mean Barack Obama told us for eight years that have been prevented if something happened to him, this guy is ready to take over as the President of the United States at any moment but now he's running for President and he won't step up and endorse him.

SCHOEN: Well, look the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, the public polls are very close between Biden and Warren. I think you are right Warren does have the momentum and her crowds are an indicator of that. And as long as that is the case and that Biden could lose the first two if not the first three caucuses in the primaries, my best guess you won't see any endorsement.

CHAFFETZ: Do you think though that Warren may be peaking too soon?

SCHOEN: No.

CHAFFETZ: Now she's going to be the focus right? Everybody's going to go after her.

SCHOEN: Well, I think the Democratic Party has moved so far left Jason that she is emerging as the George McGovern Eugene McCarthy style candidate the leftist who is ideologically pure. And I think with these gaffes do is they hurt Biden's fund-raising and they hurt his crowds and they make this a much more difficult contest even though his numbers have stayed steady having gone up but stayed steady.

CHAFFETZ: Now and Kerry, I think it's interesting. I see Elizabeth Warren is sorted via Michael Dukakis candidate but without the personality of Michael Dukakis. And so, look hats off to Bernie Sanders because the entire Democratic field went over to his policy positions which were considered so radical and so extreme but they looked over and they saw these big audiences and they embraced these policies but can he possibly win November 2020 with those kind of radical policies that people like Elizabeth Warren are embracing?

PICKET: Well, remember now Elizabeth Warren is now trying to back away a bit from Medicare for all so what exactly is her health care policy right now? She is going to be in the hot seat because she is going to be on stage with a Joe Biden along with Kamala Harris. So everyone is wondering what kind of pose and ours are going to be shot at her.

And here's the thing, what about this wealth tax question we really haven't explored that much. We are talking about a two to 3 percent tax on these ultra-wealthy people who make over $50 million. People go with big deal that just all a big wealth tax on these ultra-wealthy people.

Well why is it that say 12 countries back in 1990 were they're okay with it not only three countries are okay with it? That's something to think about because this wealth tax isn't really all it's cracked up to be so she could be scrutinized on that.

CHAFFETZ: I don't see anybody with the organic enthusiasm that Donald Trump has. I don't think anybody at this point can be Donald Trump but we will see. Kerry and Doug, thank you for joining us.

DOUG: Thank you so much.

CHAFFETZ: More of this to "Hannity Special", right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHAFFETZ: Welcome back to this special edition of “Hannity.” Thanks to Sean Hannity for allowing me to sit in for him. That's all of the time we have left this evening. If you like the show, I think you're going to like my new book it's called "Power Grab" the liberal scheme to undermine Trump the GOP and our Republic, it's out next week. You can order it now. The audio I recorded myself.

As always thank you for joining us and stay tuned to Fox News Channel because all through the weekend we have a Hurricane, Category-4 continuing coverage right here on Fox News. It's coming up on the coast. Don't mess around with this storm. Watch Fox News and they can give you the latest. "The Ingraham Angle" is next. Have a great Labor Day weekend.

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