Double standard? Media bash Trump for signing MAGA hats, ignored then-candidate Obama signing autographs for troops
CNN suggests troops broke Pentagon rules in an attempt to bash Trump for signing MAGA hats; reaction from Kayleigh McEnany, RNC national spokeswoman, Fox News national security strategist Dr. Sebastian Gorka and national security analyst Morgan Ortagus.
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," December 27, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
JASON CHAFFETZ, HOST: Thank you.
Well, welcome to this special edition of “Hannity: Trump Versus the Swamp.” I'm Jason Chaffetz, in tonight for Sean.
Yesterday, President Trump made a surprise visit to the Al Asad Airbase in Iraq where he visited the brave men and women serving abroad during Christmas. Meanwhile, back at home, the mainstream media trashed the president over his visit with our troops. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In retrospect, I give him credit for going to Iraq, but his actual performance there was shameful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The president seems to have confused this troop visit with a campaign rally.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a political rally in front of troops in Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They treat the troops like props. It converts the troops into a partisan play thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the United States Congress and the people of the United States who are supporting our armed forces. They don't belong to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's like the Grinch instead -- I'm being honest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He stole Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was so negative and so, you want positivity when it comes to Christmas. It is perplexing. Why would he visit the troops and do that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHAFFETZ: The all too predictable attacks continued on CNN, where pundits actually criticized Trump for autographs. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The pool reporters traveling said that the troops brought the hats with them, including one hat that said Trump 2020. We will have to see if that proves to be the case. The question is, if they brought them or if the president brought them. What commander allowed that to really happen? Because this is very much against military policy and regulation.
Troops are not supposed to be involved in political activities. The U.S. military is not a political force. And there's no question the saying Trump 2020 and make America great again, those are political slogans of the Trump campaign. They are not governmental sayings, to say the least.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHAFFETZ: Of course, you didn't hear though attacks under Obama. In 2008 when he was running for president, then candidate Obama signed memorabilia and rallied the troops during an event at a military base in Kuwait. Four years later, as president, running for re-election, Obama also signed autographs and took pictures at a base in Afghanistan. Of course he did.
But now that it's Trump and he's the president, this is no longer allowed? Prime example of blatant media bias and hypocrisy.
Joining us now is FOX News national security strategist Sebastian Gorka, national security analyst Morgan Ortagus, and RNC national spokesman Kayleigh McEnany.
Thank you so much for being here.
Kayleigh, I want to start with you. I mean, the hypocrisy and the double standard is so blatant here. But do the American people, do they see through this? What should they read from these media reports?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, RNC NATIONAL SPOKESMAN: Oh, Jason, there's no doubt that the American people see through this. Here is the beauty of all of this, if there is any silver lining, it's this. That the media has eliminated the need of the president to call them out, to expose their bias. They've become so bias, so ridiculous, so outrageous, literally writing a headline, while President Trump is in the air to visit the troops that he is becoming the first president since 2002 to not visit the troops. That is fake news at its finest.
They have become a parody of themselves. In doing so, they are exposing themselves. The American people are very much in tune with this. And they are doing themselves a disservice by going so negative, because it's so blatant and so obvious to even the casual observer.
CHAFFETZ: Sebastian, you're very close to the president. You serve in the White House. Why do you think the president actually made this trip? It wasn't to sign autographs on "Make America Great Again" hats.
SEBASTIAN GORKA, NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGIST: I know why he made it, Jason. I called the White House. I spoke with the White House on Christmas Eve.
He did this because this was important to him and it was important for Melania. I believe this is the first time a first lady has visited an active war zone since 1969. And the fact that CNN and the rest of the fake news industrial complex is attacking those that wear the uniform of the republic that are serving in a warzone, it's an utter disgrace and outrage.
I worked for the Defense Department for more than five years. I was subject to the rules that require you to remain politically neutral as a civilian. I have read the regulations that apply to those in uniform. You are not allowed to be involved in political campaigning, Jason -- you know that as well as I do. The idea that you are asking your commander in chief for his autograph on a hat is not a political campaign action.
All we need to know right now is, if you love this country like the president does, if you love this country like our service men and women, then CNN and the rest of that crew will hate you. It is really that simple.
CHAFFETZ: Yes, I thought the reporting was shameful.
Joining me here in New York in studio is Morgan Ortagus.
Morgan, thank you very much for being here.
MORGAN ORTAGUS, NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Always.
CHAFFETZ: Most people don't know this, but you served our country in both Saudi Arabia and Iraq. That was years of service out of your life serving our country, and we thank you for that service.
The president comes over. It was an unannounced trip. The people there, they don't know that the president's coming. They may have gotten a couple hours notice, if that.
When you serve overseas, right, you take what's precious and dear to you, which you care about, and your space is very limited. So the fact these people had this on hand, knowing maybe with an hour's notice that the president's coming, says something about the intention of where these people believe. And he got a rousing, rousing applause when he walked into that room, didn't he?
ORTAGUS: And do you know what's interesting? When Barack Obama, when George W. Bush, other presidents, regardless of party, go to the region where the troops are serving, they get rousing applause. And why is that? Because these members of the service serve at the pleasure of the commander-in-chief. They're away from their family. They're away from their friends on Christmas, and it's energizing to see your president. They're excited to see him.
You know, in a trip like that, when I was with the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, for example, if we had a cabinet official or high level official coming in, that would have been planned weeks in advance, so the criticism that it had something to do with Syria or the shutdown, it's almost impossible to plan something like that. It would have been done at the highest levels many weeks in advance.
So, I think that this is one of those things, often there's times where we look at something that the president did and you see a lot of hullaballoo from the media, sometimes I think it's being overblown. This is one of those cases where as, you know, I'm in the reserves. I do not speak on behalf of the military. In fact, I serve with people who are Democrats, who are Republicans, who are down the middle. And we don't bring our partisan affiliation into the uniform. But when the president is there, regardless of party, you're happy to see your president.
And to see these reporters -- I got to say, how all this happened, there was a reporter who zoom in and took pictures of people's faces and their name plates which, by the way, is not the best opsec to begin with, and made sure they were documented on Twitter with these MAGA hats and the Trump banner for the explicit purpose of calling them out. And that reporter, I wouldn't let that person back in the White House press corps if it were me.
CHAFFETZ: Yes.
Now, Kayleigh, is there anything the president can do that would be right? It doesn't seem to matter what this president does. They always seem to find fault in it, even visiting the troops at Christmastime.
MCENANY: That's exactly right. He does what is right and yet is still called out for it with blatant bias and with editorializing, with fake news stories. You know, I watched the entirety of his 25 minute speech. It was a very beautiful speech.
For those who didn't see it air live, go watch it. He literally sits there and thanks the troops. And he says thank you for winning back 20,000 square miles of territory from ISIS. Thank you for liberating 3 million citizens. They're extraordinary accomplishments. Thank you for sacrificing and being away from your families.
He said and did everything right. That's just it. He can do everything right. The media, however, as found by a Harvard study, is 90 percent negative. They will remain negative.
But at the end of the day, we have an election in 2020. The American people will reward him for doing what is right despite the media onslaught, despite the liberal and the leftist onslaught that he endures every single day.
CHAFFETZ: And I also thought that bringing the first lady and having the first lady make that trip and visiting with the troops was all a very nice touch.
MCENANY: Absolutely.
CHAFFETZ: Sebastian, you, again, with the troops, the message that it sends not only to the people there in Iraq that are serving, but overseas in Japan and all across the world. The message has got to be a resounding Donald Trump has your back.
GORKA: You took the words out of my mouth. That was the next thing I was going to say.
So, I'd like to encourage all the viewers to go back to my Twitter feed, @SebGorka, look at Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Look at the photographs from Iraq. Look at the faces of those service men and women. Look at the photographs from Ramstein, from Germany.
They are so overjoyed that on Christmas Day, Donald Trump and Melania Trump don't spend their precious time together in the White House or at Mar-a- Lago. They fly to the Middle East. They fly to the base.
They meet with these people. They shake their hands. They take their selfies. They know that one trip tells them everything they need to know about how much this commander in chief has their back. And most telling of all --
CHAFFETZ: Sebastian, I have got just a few second. I want to give Morgan the last word here. The only thing that I have seen Barack Obama -- the only thing he was willing to cut was his defense budget. But this president has propped that up by tens of billions of dollars.
ORTAGUS: What's also not being talked about, on that trip the president was meeting with his senior military commanders on the ground. And he's already -- the team has already started to show that they're thinking about perhaps a new strategy for Syria as it relates to keeping troops there.
The president has indicated he's going to keep troops in Iraq. For people like me who are defense hawks, this was a fantastic trip because the president got to see first hand all of the stuff that is deliberated in the National Security Council. He got to see it. It might have even not necessarily changed his mind, but helped him sort of strengthen his strategy as it relates to Syria and Iraq. And that's incredibly important. No one's talking about that because they just want to criticize him for signing a hat.
CHAFFETZ: I hope the president continues to do this. It means the world to these troops.
ORTAGUS: Absolutely.
CHAFFETZ: And their families are back home and to do it during Christmastime. And shame on the media for reporting it as they did. They did not give you the full picture of what was happening. And thank you.
And God bless the troops who are serving. We appreciate you joining us tonight.
I need to shift gears to an urgent story out of California. A manhunt is under way for an illegal immigrant who shot and killed a 33-year-old police officer during a traffic stop early Wednesday morning.
Joining us now for the very latest is Jonathan Hunt -- Jonathan.
JONATHAN HUNT, CORRESPONDENT: Jason, good evening.
Officer Ronil Singh was gunned down at 1 a.m. Wednesday in a small town of Newman in northern California. Just hours earlier, on Christmas day, he had taken this photo with his wife Anamika and their 5-month-old son.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His 5-month-old, he will never hear talk. He will never see his son walk. He doesn't get to hold that little boy, hug his wife, say goodnight anymore, because a coward took his life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: On Wednesday, Officer Singh pulled over a gray pickup truck that had no license plates. Minutes later, he radioed, called shots fired. I have been hit.
The suspect was seen on security camera footage buying beer shortly before the shooting. He has not been formally named but officials say they know who he is. They believe he is still in the area. They know he is armed and dangerous.
And the sheriff also revealed the suspect is an illegal immigrant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This suspect, unlike Ron, who immigrated to this country lawfully and legally, to pursue his life long career of public safety, public service and being a police officer. This suspect is in our country illegally.
He doesn't belong here. He's a criminal. We will find him. We will arrest him. And we will bring him to justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHAFFETZ: President Trump tweeted after that press conference highlighting the manhunt for the suspect and said: Time to get tough on border security. Build the wall.
Officer Singh, as you heard the sheriff mentioned, was a legal immigrant from Fiji and apparently took extra English lessons to make himself better understood over the police radio. Those who worked with him, Jason, say he loved being a police officer. He loved his family. And he was, quote, living the American dream -- Jason.
CHAFFETZ: All right. Jonathan, thank you. I hate stories like this. I can't thank the family enough for the service and sacrifice that he made in serving this nation.
I was in Stanislaus earlier this year at an event. And the men and women there are grieving and they will for a long time. We lost a good one.
But this is just the latest tragic example of why the law on our southern border is so important. Still tonight as we speak, Democrats are willing to shut down the government to spite President Trump.
Joining us is Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz.
I really do appreciate all three of you being here now.
I want to go first to the attorney general. You've been through these types of events. Florida's a big state, like California. A blue alert has been issued.
What are the men and women thinking about and going through now as they're trying to find this killer?
PAM BONDI, R-FLA., ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, it's horrible. And sadly, we've dealt with this so many times.
If Nancy Pelosi wants to put $5 billion on a wall, well, that -- to protect children, she's saying, what about that police officer's child? That's priceless. You can't put a price tag on that, Jason. We know that.
We know that we have to build this wall. These families, these police officers risk their lives for us every single day. And if his life could have been prevented by that wall, then it was worth every penny of it. One drug bust, Jason, that came in, one drug bust in one day coming through the Mexican border, it was cocaine, meth and heroin totaling over hits or doses that could go to children, 31 million doses. I got it all broken down by DEA for me in D.C. That's almost the population of California.
All those kids in our country, all those drugs could have gone to kids in our country. That's what this is about, protecting our children. That's why these borders are so important. The gangs, the human trafficking -- firsthand, I know about all of this.
CHAFFETZ: And, Tammy, this is broader than just the wall. I know the discussion is about the wall. The wall is important. To put an impediment, something in between those who want to come north. And it is bigger and broader than just the human trafficking and bringing kids across the border. You have drugs and guns and all the other things that come along with that.
And we don't know how this person that has been identified as the police. We don't know how this person got here. Could have come under a visa and be a visa overstay. But there still is need to build the wall and create an impediment, correct?
TAMMY BRUCE, CONTRIBUTOR: Well, there's the literalness of that, of course, Jason. But there's also the psychology of it. It's a statement to individuals like this criminal, who thought he would just come over. The individuals, Brazilian murderers who ICE has caught who they had to send back to Brazil. So, there's this message that this is the place to escape to if someone else is looking for you.
Or that, in fact, if America doesn't care about its border security and doesn't care about crime and what's happening inside the country, why should you? But I just have to say, this is eerily similar and horrific as well as what reminded people during the campaign with President Trump. The Kate Steinle killing, of course, on the pier in San Francisco. Up until that point, that was all this kind of discussion about the technicalities of immigration and what we were going to have as borders and, you know, the impediments and all of that.
We've moved into that kind of conversation again, where it's about these elements, or the Democrats getting their votes or if they're going to win in 2020. Suddenly, we realize it's the American people who matter here, that the politicians are using us as effectively or seeing us as collateral damage in this process as they fight to get what they want in Washington. This isn't an argument and a fight about us, about our families, about that little baby now who will never know his father, and all of the people in America who have lost a loved one, either through the drugs or through murder or through killings.
This is what we've got to remember. The politicians want you to think it's about them. It is about us and this is what the president is committed to. It's our lives and our future.
CHAFFETZ: Now, Congressman, I had the pleasure of serving with you in the 115th Congress. But Democrats say they're for border security. I, for the life of me, can't figure out what they think is border security, when they want to promote sanctuary cities and abolish ICE. They aren't supporting the wall. They call the wall immoral. I don't know what they think border security actually is.
But there's a lot of other things. They suddenly want to have a hearing. And I actually think there should be an inspector general report. The child that was in -- now two children that were in the custody of customs and border patrol, I do think there should be an investigation into that.
But what about these killings? Do you think they're going to do some investigations of those?
REP. MATT GAETZ, R-FLA.: Well, it is always a tragedy when a child dies. And, obviously, we're going to look into that. But my goodness, if you did what the left wanted, you'd get rid of the borders, abolish ICE, have every community as a sanctuary city. And at the end of the day, you'd provide endless medical care better than the veterans are getting in my district and my own community.
I mean, when you look at the challenges that Attorney General Bondi laid out, before our law enforcement officials. Jason, they've already got to fight again American murderers. They should not have to fight against murderers from around the world that are dumped here because of our porous border.
And when you think about the different justifications for the wall, rising wages for the American worker, safer streets that don't have the drugs, I think what motivates our president the most is the safety and security of the American people. Remember, Jason, he's met with the families of individuals who have lost loved ones at the hands of criminally illegal aliens who were violent. And I think it's that resolved that he has, that commitment to the families who lost loved ones that really motivates the president to be so resolute during this period of time.
I'm confident that our president is going to get a good deal here because we simply cannot put illegal aliens over the interest of the American people. And it sounds so obvious to say. You look at who everyone's fighting for. The president is fighting for safer street, better jobs and higher wages.
And, apparently, the Democrats are fighting for a porous border that becomes easier for criminal illegal aliens. Really a shame.
CHAFFETZ: That's what's amazing. Democrats have walked away from the table. They are more interested in making sure that Nancy Pelosi gets the gavel and becomes the speaker. And they can't define when they say they want border security. When it wasn't Donald Trump, they went ahead and voted to authorize the wall. But now, they won't want to fund it.
So the discussion continues. I wish I had more time for all three of you, but we don't on this night. There's a lot of news happening.
So, Tammy, General Bondi, and, Congressman Gaetz, we thank you. Thank you for your service to this country and joining us here tonight.
Coming up, big news on the Mueller probe today. Dan Bongino and David Schoen will break it down, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHAFFETZ: Welcome back to this special edition of HANNITY: Trump Versus the Swamp.
Developing tonight is a new report surrounding Michael Cohen's cell phone, along with the latest on author Jerome Corsi's legal battle with the special counsel.
Rich Edson has more from Washington -- Rich.
RICH EDSON, CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good evening, Jason.
A federal judge has rejected the Justice Department's request to delay an upcoming hearing in conservative author Jerome Corsi's lawsuit against special counsel Robert Mueller. Justice Department officials requested the delay because they say the federal shutdown is hindering government lawyers. Corsi is suing the special counsel for more than $350 million, claiming Mueller illegally searched his phone records.
Special counsel has reportedly examined Corsi over his advanced knowledge that Hillary Clinton's campaign e-mails had been stolen and given to WikiLeaks. Corsi says he just connected the dots. This as "McClatchy" reports a cell phone traced to President Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen sent signals to a cell tower in the Prague area in late summer 2016.
Former British spy Christopher Steele's dossier claims Cohen coordinated with Russian officials in Prague and McClatchy report also says that during that same timeframe, an Eastern European intelligence agency picked up a conversation among Russians where one claimed Cohen was in Prague. To that, Cohen tweeted I hear Prague, Czech Republic is beautiful in the summertime. I wouldn't know. I have never been.
Mueller knows everything. Cohen is cooperating with the special counsel's office. Earlier this month, a judge sentenced him to three years in prison -- Jason.
CHAFFETZ: Rich, thank you.
Also tonight, Rudy Giuliani is accusing Robert Mueller of destroying FBI evidence after the Department of Justice watchdog found that phones with text messages between disgraced former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page were erased.
Joining us now for reaction attorney David Schoen and former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino.
Thank you both for joining us.
I want to start with you, David, because "McClatchy" is insisting on this report, new report out today, that there were pings on Cohen's phone in the Czech Republic. And yet, Lanny Davis, the attorney for Michael Cohen has insisted no. And he's also -- Michael Cohen has tweeted out, no, that wasn't the case.
But can anything at this point be believed by Michael Cohen?
DAVID SCHOEN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, that's the problem. There's just no credibility there at all anymore. Remember, Michael Cohen's motivation would be, if he were in Prague, to say that he was in Prague and colluding and to try to bury the president, because he's made it clear what his agenda is at this point and what his priorities are.
So, the fact that he's still saying that he wasn't in Prague and Lanny Davis is swearing that his client told him that he wasn't in Prague is significant. Frankly, by this point, Lanny Davis' own statements would be an admission by Cohen. And they're attributable to him.
So, if Mr. Cohen testifies otherwise, Lanny Davis will be a witness in the case and this is the stuff of the cross-examination.
CHAFFETZ: I still think -- Dan, I still think it's highly suspicious that Davis is involved in any way, shape or form. Is it coincidentally Cohen gets the attorney that works so closely with the Clintons through all these years? I mean, the universe of attorneys is enormous and he just happened to land that guy? It doesn't make any sense.
But, Cohen, I mean, you are a Secret Service agent. If you had a guy like Cohen come before you, what do you do with a guy like that? Because now, he's an admitted liar.
DAN BONGINO: Yes, he is an admitted liar. But the way you investigate a case like this, is you go and do an investigation. In an investigation of travel overseas, whether it's a drug deal, an alleged collusion conspiracy ring, Jason, there's a very easy way to figure this out.
You go and check hotel records. You can check, we had text back in the day. You can check passport records and travel records.
What's my point of bringing this up? All of those things indicate Michael Cohen was not in Prague. David brought up an excellent point. What motivation could Michael Cohen possibly have trying to get himself out of jail and work off a sentence through proper agreements, trying to get a 5K letter? What motivation would he possibly have to continue to lie, Jason, about being in Prague?
There's no passport evidence. There's no travel evidence. There's no hotel records. Even "The Washington Post" reporter has said they found no evidence that this story is true. I think "McClatchy" is getting worked over by some bad sources here.
CHAFFETZ: Well, I think that's the other part of the story. Who is trying to shop this and turn this story the other way? I think that's a bigger part of it.
But I got to change gears to Jerome Corsi because he gets a lawsuit. It's moving forward. The government tried to go before and judge say, whoa, slow this down, you know, because of the furloughs and everything here, Christmastime, we need more time.
But the judge shot that down. So, how is this going to play out?
SCHOEN: Well, hopefully, it will go forward. Jerome Corsi's lawsuit is vitally important. It should, if it really goes forward with discovery, expose the very nature of this Mueller team. We've known from the start that Mueller picked people who had an agenda and some prosecutors with the most checkered backgrounds ethically of any prosecutors in the country starting with Andrew Weissmann.
If Mr. Corsi is able to go forward and get discovery and find out something about these tactics, it's going to blow people away, I think. And hopefully, finally, the Department of Justice with a new attorney general will rein in the special counsel's conduct, because that is his obligation for oversight under the Special Counsel regulations.
CHAFFETZ: Yes, I know. That is something that should happen. But Dan, I got to switch gears, because there's one other part I want to get to before we run out of time, and that is Mayor Rudy Giuliani representing the President has called for an investigation of Mueller himself for the destruction of these text messages.
There are still thousands of text messages between Strzok and Page, FBI officials on FBI equipment, that are still missing, according to the Department of Justice Inspector General.
BONGINO: Yes, you know what's really incredible about this is that Liberals are basing their entire case against Trump on this Trump Tower meeting with Don Jr., who by the way Jason immediately released all the emails about that--
CHAFFETZ: Yes.
BONGINO: --when it became public and engaged in an almost unprecedented active disclosure. Yes, when it happens on the other side and the anti- Trump team, which I throw the Mueller team in there, and these records disappear.
The media coverage is almost, oh it's no big deal, it was an accident. It's not an accident, we don't know what's in there. I suspect what's in there is communications about their doubts about the dossier. Remember, they went into a FISA Court, raised their right hand and some bureau manager swore that that information was true and verified.
Strzok was the lead investigator. If anyone knows in those texts that it wasn't, it's him I suspect that's what's in there.
CHAFFETZ: Well, thank you both, and also let's remember the Inspector General David (ph) Horowitz and his team there at the Department of Justice could not get the FBI to cough up these text messages. They had to go to the Pentagon to write software to go penetrate and get at the FBI's own intelligence.
And remember who these guys were, the guy who's in charge of counterintelligence for the United States and our own people right across the river there could go hack into it and get in and no problem, and that is such a big issue. It affects all of government.
A lot more to come here I'm sure on Hannity in the coming weeks. But Dan and David, we thank you very much. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and thanks for joining us.
Coming up, the Women's March Movement is melting down, we'll explain why, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHAFFETZ: Welcome back to this special edition of Hannity. The second annual Women's March in Washington DC is coming up. But beware, those organizing and leading the march are facing serious charges of anti- Semitism and racism.
According to a new report, top officials inside the Women's March are deeply entrenched with the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan. In 2015, three board members, including Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory participated in a rally organized by Louis Farrakhan.
And in February of this year, co-chair Tamika Mallory attended the Nation of Islam's annual Saviors' Day, also hosted by Louis Farrakhan where he called Jews "satanic." Both Mallory and Sarsour have frequently praised the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan on Twitter, the very same man who constantly spews bigoted language towards the Jewish people.
Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOUIS FARRAKHAN SR., LEADER OF NATION OF ISLAM: Here the Jews don't like Farrakhan, so they call me Hitler. Well, that's a good name. Hitler was a very great man.
The Satanic Jews, they control everything and mostly everybody.
There were many Israelis and Zionist Jews in key roles in the 9/11 attacks. See, the Jews have control over those agencies of government.
The powerful Jews are my enemy.
Farrakhan, by God's grace, has pulled the cover off of that satanic Jew.
Call me an anti-Semite, stop it. I'm anti-termite.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHAFFETZ: After months of outrage, the Women's March officially denounced many of those comments, but its leaders are still seemingly unwilling to distance themselves from the Nation of Islam and Farrakhan himself.
Now, other Women's Marches across America are being canceled, including one in Chicago. Joining us now is Fox News contributor, Jessica Tarlov, and human rights attorney Brooke Goldstein. Thank you both for being here.
Brooke, I want to start with you. The Women's March, has is it been compromised?
BROOKE GOLDSTEIN, HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY: It's been compromised from the beginning, you know, Ben Stein said to me in the greenroom, if these women weren't leaders of the March, they'd be members of the KKK. Their neo-Nazi behavior, their anti-Semitism is so blatant and has been out front for so long, it's a wonder they haven't been condemned and shut out of the movement.
It's beyond just their association with Farrakhan. Linda Sarsour, one of the founders of the Women's March, has called for the dehumanization of Jews. She has actually embraced PFLP terrorist Rasmea Odeh, who murdered two young Israeli Jews and called to support her.
She has tweeted in favor of the Islamic Jihad, a particular terrorist who is in jail for recruiting suicide bombers. And the irony is, they are using the platform of the Women's March, which was set up to protect minority rights, to advocate for women's rights, to promote hatred against the world's oldest minority, the Jewish people. It is absolutely wrong and it must come out in the open.
CHAFFETZ: Now, Jessica's joining me here in New York. Jessica, it is the American way to petition your government to March?
JESSICA TARLOV, CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely.
CHAFFETZ: I don't think anybody's opposed to that. But these aren't just rank-and-file members of--
TARLOV: No.
CHAFFETZ: These are leaders of the Women's March.
TARLOV: Of the National Movement.
CHAFFETZ: The National Movement.
TARLOV: And I think it's a wonderful thing to hear about states taking it upon themselves to organize their own local marches. I've written about Louis Farrakhan and the danger I think he poses to society and especially to the Democratic Party, with the association of some prominent members with him.
And I think that every one state should have a Women's March. I think it's incredibly important and I admittedly did participate in the first Woman's March here in New York, right after Donald Trump's election, and I thought it was an important thing to be out there, representing the rights of minorities, those who are not going to be represented by this administration, and who continued to not be represented by them.
But local leaders should organize and make sure that this message continues, but we don't need them, and they should be pushed out of the movement. And those, the others like Bob Bland for instance, who's been there since the beginning, if you're not going to turn on them and you're not going to stand for protection of all minorities, which is what the Women's March is about, shouldn't be there.
GOLDSTEIN: But this is indicative though of a much larger problem that goes way beyond the Women's March. We have seen the use of the so-called progressive movement platform in the Liberal space now being invaded by anti-Semitism.
Look at the embracing, not just of Farrakhan, but Keith Ellison, and it's now steeping into our schools. We have a major school, San Francisco State University for example, that happens to being sued by my organization, The Lawfair Project, for rampant civil rights violations against Jews.
And the excuse is, well we're progressive, we're anti-Zionist, and how does that turn out, they turn around and target Jewish students by excluding them from a Know Your Rights Fair, which was meant to educate about minority rights. We are seeing the progressive space again being infiltrated by this type of hatred; it must stop.
TARLOV: I know Brooke that you do spend all day steeped in this and this is not my main area of focus, but I would push back there as someone who is a proud member of the Democratic Party Liberal, more moderate Democrat necessarily than a Bernie Sanders type progressive.
But I don't believe that we are an anti-Semitic entity. I do not believe that we are advocating for policies.
GOLDSTEIN: I did not say that.
TARLOV: No, you were saying--
(CROSSTALK)
GOLDSTEIN: --run the Democratic Party.
TARLOV: --progressive movement and I'm pushing back there. When you have what happened for instance in Charlottesville, where we had people marching and saying Jews will not replace us and then a President equivocating on it and saying there are many fine people on both sides there; that to me is a real problem.
I'm happy to talk about Farrakhan—
GOLDSTEIN: I'm very heartened to see members of the Left finally come out, when this -- what is taking so long? Linda Sarsour has been using her platform. I was at the Brooklyn March that she did about a year ago, where she dovetailed from talking about women's rights into blatant anti- Semitism.
Not only that, when has a women's rights movement ever come out against the massive slavery and abuse of women in Muslim-majority countries? Why didn't the women's movement come out when Linda Sarsour was attacking Ayaan Hirsi Ali? This is a problem that has existed for a long time and again goes beyond just the Women's March.
I'm happy that we are talking about it. I'm happy that my colleagues on the Left and the Right are coming together and agreeing that anti-Semitism has no place in the progressive space.
CHAFFETZ: Brooke, we so appreciate that you are so involved and engaged in this, but I want to give the last word to Jessica; it's been a great discussion. Jessica?
TARLOV: I would reiterate what I said before that the progressives, the Liberals, the Democrats, we are not an anti-Semitic party. I think what Louis Farrakhan preaches, which goes beyond anti-Semitism to sexism and bigotry against LGBTQ people has no place any modern-day party, and he should absolutely be pushed out there.
So, I would just again encourage local organizers make sure that we do have a Women's March so that women can and men and our allies and the kids, the kids are so cute out there, can come together and speak up against this administration.
CHAFFETZ: But if you have this Women's March with those leaders in support of Farrakhan, there's a reason why Rhode Island and Washington State and Chicago are abandoning and fleeing here.
TARLOV: And of course should be paying attention to this issue, there's a wonderful very, very long piece in tablet that goes very in-depth into this issue, which I encourage everyone when they have an hour to read, to pay attention to the issue.
(CROSSTALK)
CHAFFETZ: But we don't have an hour, so I have got it cut it off there.
TARLOV: And thanks, Jason and Brooke.
CHAFFETZ: And thank you both for joining us and Happy New Year to you both and thank you so much for being here.
An unbelievable story of the Left going after America's hunters, one of the biggest names in Hollywood is under attack, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHAFFETZ: Welcome back to this special edition of Hannity, Trump versus the swamp. The President's battle against the intolerant Left is symptomatic of a broader disconnect in our culture. Beltway elitists who have a disgust for America's heartland, beloved actor Chris Pratt, well known for honoring the troops and making surprise visits to sick children, is under attack.
He famously gave a nine rules speech to young people at the MTV Movie and TV Awards in June, telling them, "God is real. God loves you, God wants the best for you. Believe that, I do." And "Learn to pray. It's easy, and it's so good for your soul."
It looks like the Hollywood star has angered the Left even further. A TV Guide editor lambasted him as problematic for being a lover of hunting and raising lambs. The guide ran an article titled How To Love Chris Pratt Without Hating Yourself. It takes issue with Pratt's farm-to-table lifestyle and hunting deer. He even eats meat, oh my goodness.
Here to discuss the Liberals disconnect with the mainstream media -- with the mainstream America, I should say, is Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, and Trump Advisory Board member and attorney Madison Gesiotto.
I got to tell you, Charlie, the disconnect here could not be further. I mean, Chris Pratt is saying I like hunting, I like God, and I like praying. Why is he constantly under attack?
CHARLIE KIRK, FOUNDER, TURNING POINT USA: This is so important, Jason, because now we have seen that it's no longer a political divide in our country, it's now becoming a cultural divide. These used to be things that the Democrat Party used to embrace.
I mean the Democrat Party of the '60s, '70s and '80s, they used to be a party of fear and reverence of God, that understood the lifestyle of mainstream America and the Heartland, which is hunting and fishing and family.
No longer, it is now a party which, as Andrew Breitbart told us, politics goes downstream from culture that has now gone towards this kind of cultural relativism, which is rooted in there is no God, that hunting is wrong, that meat is evil.
And I know it sounds so absurd to people to hear this, but this is really a lifestyle that you'll find in Manhattan and Malibu. But there's a middle part of the country that is rejecting this wholeheartedly and you see this with Chris Pratt.
My heart goes out to him because he's just a good red-blooded American, who now still believes in God and country and he's getting absolutely targeted and attacked by these Hollywood and Manhattan elites, and it's very, very hard to speak out in Hollywood because of that.
CHAFFETZ: Now Madison, look, Chris Pratt is a very entertaining entertainer. I mean his movies, he puts a smile on your face, but he now has a target on his back, right, because he likes to hunt, he raises lamb that he ends up eating.
I mean he's living the way the overwhelming majority of Americans live, but he does now have a target on his back, doesn't he?
MADISON GESIOTTO, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: You know Jason, I can't help but think that people have bigger things to worry about than what Chris Pratt's eating or where his food is coming from. And I can assure those people that most people in this country get food that comes from much worse places than where Chris' food is coming from.
Chris is a great guy, and the problem here is not that Chris is a hunter. The problem with Chris is that Chris is a Christian, that Chris is not Liberal, so he doesn't fit in with the media, he doesn't fit in with the Hollywood elites and they can't handle that.
He's amazing on screen; he's done incredible things off screen. He's worked with Special Olympics, he's raised money for families of children with cancer. He's just overall a great guy, he's a classy guy, he's a believer of God, and he's someone that so many young people across this country could look up to.
He's someone who just takes time out of his day to do nice things for others. He even said -- he took the time to send me a message when I passed the bar exam, congratulating me. I've been impressed with him his entire career and I wish the Liberals would stop showing their bias, because guess what, he's someone that we should look to -- not someone that we should be attacking.
CHAFFETZ: So Charlie, the Liberals, they take this approach and they want to go after people that hunt, they pray and they believe in God. How in the world are they going to grow their party if they think that that's what's representative of America?
KIRK: Well part of their political strategy is to try to allow 10 to 15 million illegal immigrants into the country and hopefully naturalize them, get the right to vote, and therefore they don't have to win back Middle America.
I know that sounds cynical and sinister, but the Democrats I mean are well on their way to do that. But I'll say this Jason, it's so important that people have to realize that we are now in the midst of a culture war in our country, which is are we still a country that believes in the idea of E pluribus unum or In God We Trust and liberty?
These are the foundational Judeo-Christian values of our country that made America the greatest country and greatest culture ever to exist. And look, it's -- we have gone so far outside of the rails of reality when someone like Chris Pratt is attacked by this. And by the way, why should have--
CHAFFETZ: Charlie, I got to cut off there, I have a heart out, I got to meet (ph). And Madison, Sean Hannity owes you more time on Hannity, so somehow I'll work that out with him. But we really appreciate you both joining us here today.
GESIOTTO: Sounds good.
CHAFFETZ: But we really appreciate you both joining us here today.
GESIOTTO: Thanks Jason.
CHAFFETZ: Next, a special tribute to a war hero, a retiring Congressman Sam Johnson, a true American hero.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHAFFETZ: Welcome back to this special edition of Hannity, Trump versus the swamp. Congressman Sam Johnson will be retiring at the end of the year, leaving a profound legacy of public service.
From his experience in the military, nearly seven years -- seven years as a prisoner of war, through his time as an elected official. And to honor his career, I had the opportunity to sit down with the Congressman and reflect on his historic work. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's one of the most beloved members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of all the people I've ever had the pleasure to meet are served with in Congress, there is only one that could be defined as an American Hero.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sam Johnson is one of the greatest living men that I know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our country is stronger for your selfless sacrifice and dedicated leadership.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After nearly 27 years of serving his constituents in the great state of Texas, Colonel Sam Johnson is retiring. A decorated fighter pilot, now at 88 years old, he uses a scooter to get around, but that hasn't slowed him down.
When Congressman Scalise returned to the Capitol last year after recovering from being shot, Johnson challenged him to a scooter race.
CHAFFETZ: Who won that race?
REP. SAM JOHNSON, R-TX: (LAUGHTER) I did.
(LAUGHTER)
CHAFFETZ: You've been racing your whole life, haven't you?
JOHNSON: I try.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His service to his country began in 1951.
JOHNSON: I just decided I wanted to fly airplanes, and you don't do that except in the military.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over the course of his 29 year career with the United States Air Force, Johnson did a whole lot more than just fly airplanes. After 62 combat missions in Korea, he helped the Air Force test the effects of nuclear explosions on planes by flying right into them.
JOHNSON: I flew through an airburst. I mean, no big deal. (LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Johnson was selected to fly lead solo with the elite Air Force Thunderbirds.
CHAFFETZ: I heard this story about maybe flying a little too fast.
JOHNSON: I flew up the waterfront supersonic and broke every window in the waterfront and caused the Air Force $100,000, and they said don't do that anymore.
(LAUGHTER)
Yes sir.
(LAUGHTER)
Buzz Aldrin and I went to flying school together. We both got Korea assignments and were ordered over there at the same time. He's been a close friend, the whole way, all the way to the moon and back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While Buzz was gearing up to fly into space, Johnson was flying combat missions in Vietnam. And on his 25th mission, he was shot down. Captured by the North Vietnamese and taken as a prisoner of war.
Buzz honored Johnson by wearing his POW bracelet when he landed on the moon.
CHAFFETZ: What did that mean to you when he wore that bracelet of yours up on the moon?
JOHNSON: Well, it meant a lot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Johnson endured seven years as a prisoner of war.
JOHNSON: We didn't stop fighting from inside the cells and caused them a lot of havoc while we were there. And we ended up, they put us in single cells in a place we called Alcatraz.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 42 months, more than three years, was spent in solitary confinement.
JOHNSON: Fortunately, tapping on the wall with a code that we had, you could maintain contact with the other guys.
CHAFFETZ: You came out of it -- was it through prayer or was it thinking of Shirley?
JOHNSON: All of that. Thinking of Shirley, of course, and praying to God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While Sam is a hero to many, his hero was his wife Shirley.
JOHNSON: She was the greatest lady in the world.
CHAFFETZ: I heard that at dinner, she would set a place for you, is that right?
JOHNSON: She did, because she knew I was coming back.
Seeing these American flags flying is heart-rending for me, and one of the greatest things that I could ever hope to see coming back home.
CHAFFETZ: So when you see these people disrespecting the flag, won't stand up and put their hand over the heart-- JOHNSON: There's no reason to disrespect our flag. The United States of America in my view is the greatest nation in the world and we should set an example for the rest of the world, and we do most of the time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Johnson could have retired an American Hero. But instead, he decided to become a statesman.
JOHNSON: Not everyone was happy with our government, but my fellow POW buddies and I decided we would stop griping about it and start working to fix it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In 2016, the Ways and Means Committee honored Johnson by naming this hearing room the Sam Johnson Room and redecorating it in his honor.
CHAFFETZ: They put a note that you wrote in there. Do you remember what you wrote?
JOHNSON: Freedom has a taste to those who almost died that the protected will never know and that's what we fight for here day and night in the United States Congress, freedom for every member of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHAFFETZ: Many thanks to "Fox & Friends" and HANNITY putting that story out there. I think in this country, we use the word hero a little too loosely. But you know what, he is a true American hero.
Unfortunately, that is all the time we have left this evening. Many thanks to Sean Hannity for allowing me to host.
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