Graham: Impeachment inquiry is being run by 'sore losers'

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Graham: Impeachment inquiry is being run by 'sore losers'

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham on the impeachment probe and lack on due process on 'Hannity.'

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," October 29, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: All right, Tucker. One swamp to the other.

Welcome to “Hannity.”

Today is day 35 of the Democrats' secret Soviet-style impeachment coup attempt, although it's really been their goal -- think about it -- from the day that you, we the people, elected Donald Trump as president.

Breaking just moments ago, the Democratic Party may be starting to fracture. Look at this -- at least one Democratic congresswoman now reportedly planning to oppose his party's latest, unfair -- which we'll explain -- impeachment measure. We'll have a full report tonight from Capitol Hill.

But first, another day of secret meeting, secret hearings, secret transcripts, a secret whistle-blower, non-whistle-blower, hearsay whistle- blower, all because of a phone call between President Trump and the president of Ukraine.

But, tonight, let me just cut to the chase here. None of this really in truth matters. The fake whistle-blowers' thoughts, their feelings, they don't matter. Anonymous sources don't matter. Witnesses to the phone call, they don't matter.

None of this circus that Democrats are now dragging the entire country through matters because we have the actual transcript. It is public and it shows zero, none, no misconduct whatsoever by the president. The transcript not only exonerates the president but it clearly features a president of the United States upholding his sworn duty to execute the laws of the United States and investigate foreign election interference. So, nothing the Democrats have supposedly cared about for three years all of a sudden matters.

By the way, there was even a court decision in Ukraine and that found that their government interfered in our 2016 elections in an effort to help Hillary Rodham Clinton. I thought Democrats cared about foreign interference in our elections.

According to a very credible report from "Politico's" January 11, 2017, they went into specificity and detail about how Ukraine worked in concert with the DNC in 2016 to smear Donald Trump and help elect Hillary Clinton.

In other words, the DNC literally colluded with Ukraine, how ironic, to help Clinton win and to hurt Donald Trump. Now, asking a country, in this case Ukraine, to cooperate in an investigation, that's actually not a crime. It's not bribery, not a misdemeanor, it's certainly not treason.

It's actually the president's job to faithfully uphold and execute the laws of the land. That is his oath, that is his constitutional obligation. But the leader now of this new witch hunt, we have the corrupt, compromise, coward, congenital liar, Adam Schiff. He wants you to believe something much different.

Schiff, who won't come on their show to defend himself, he goes on every other show, has zero fidelity to truth. He is a pathetic liar. And for three years, he has worshiped at the altar of his impeachment lies.

It's constant lies. He's got all the evidence we would ever need about Russia, Russia, Russia collusion. It was a hoax and conspiracy, lies, didn't work out.

Now, let's try Ukraine. It's evolving narratives, they're now calling it. In other words, you have the coward Schiff trying really hard to get his lies straight.

Remember, first, according to Schiff, there were multiple, direct quid pro quos from the president's call with Ukrainian president. And the president released the transcript. That proved to be a lie, too, that allegation.

And when Ukraine's president and their foreign minister both said they felt zero pressure whatsoever -- well, then, there's Schiff, he claimed it was some kind of behind the scenes effort then to shake down Ukraine over time by withholding aid. But what we found out the money was actually released without any conditions whatsoever, and that the Ukrainian government didn't even know that the money was delayed at the time of the call, Schiff had to change his narrative again, calling in witness after witness but only behind closed doors, without real Republican due process at all to speculate on the president's intentions.

You know what -- you know who hasn't testified? Interesting. They're not talking anymore about the so-called whistle-blower non-whistle-blower, who started the entire process. Now, why is it? Because Schiff's office we now know was in contact, apparently even advising him from the very beginning.

Now, Republicans, if we ever get that guy under oath, well, they'll be asking a lot of questions about that and that guy supported Joe Biden. Now, they told him apparently, according to reports, to get a lawyer. They encouraged him to file a complaint with the inspector general.

And that means Schiff is a fact witness in the case. He blatantly lied about this coordination as we have proven on TV.

Schiff is compromised. He's a fact witness in the case in which he is now presiding. He should recuse himself.

He is compromised, corrupt, a coward, and a congenital liar. That's who's leading the new witch hunt.

So, today, when Democrats said they were alarmed -- they were alarmed by the testimony of Alexander Vindman, a national security expert -- I understand -- a war hero, thank you, sir, for serving our country.

He was on the phone call. But the problem is, keep in mind, the Democrats' interpretation of his interpretation of the phone call. But we don't need his interpretation because we have the transcript. It doesn't matter, frankly -- with all due respect, and I mean that sincerely -- what he or anybody else thinks.

It's all feigned outrage. They're acting -- wow -- somebody else interpreted it the sick way we do or the corrupt way we do.

OK. Well, that's their interpretation but it's a matter of law. Even the Department of Justice investigation concluded today, no conclusion. There was nothing wrong, nothing illegal about the president's call.

But the corrupt Democrats, they could not care less. You have Schiff. You have Pelosi. They are now ready for phase two of their impeachment coup attempt.

And today, they cooked up a resolution, I've got it right here in front of me, it's not worth the paper that is printed on, I wasted paper. I hurt trees in the process. That would make their coup proceedings public.

One big catch, when you actually read the document, which I have done, well, there is one huge, massive, gigantic caveat that the compromised congenital liar Adam Schiff and his fellow Democrats, they actually can veto any Republican attempts to call witnesses, subpoena evidence, and pretty much anything else.

They need the compromised Schiff's approval for everything, and maybe that's why Nancy Pelosi is refusing to call this an official impeachment resolution. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Madam Speaker, can we have you talk about the impeachment resolution?

REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-CALIF.: It's not an impeachment resolution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: I guess Pelosi and I can agree on one thing. It's not an impeachment resolution. This is not what Newt Gingrich offered Bill Clinton in 1998. His process was actually really fair.

She doesn't want to mirror that. What this is, is smoke and mirrors. They are trying to make you think it's something that it is not. It is not fair. It is not what Newt Gingrich offered to Clinton. It's anything but fair.

And what this really is, is a massive fishing expedition in the hopes that any cooked up allegation might stick. Then we'll impeach him. We don't know on what but we'll impeach him then.

It is a fraudulent. It is an unconstitutional, show trial, devoid of all due process. It is illegitimate, it's an impeachment coup attempt run by a corrupt, compromised, congenital liar who's been hell-bent on destroying the presidency of Donald Trump regardless of truth, logic, common sense, reason, and facts.

And now, breaking just moments ago, at least one Democrat apparently is breaking rank. NBC News reporting that New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew will likely vote against the impeachment measure.

It's important to note: Van Drew is one of 31 Democrats, they represent districts who voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Big development.

With more on this and the Democrats' impeachment non-impeachment measure -- well, FOX News Capitol Hill senior correspondent Chad Pergram is with us -- Chad.

CHAD PERGRAM, CAPITOL HILL SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Sean.

Well, the resolution today, that's the first official step codifying the impeachment process in the House. This goes to the rules committee tomorrow to prep the resolution for the floor and then expect a full House to debate the plan Thursday morning. The vote itself will come midday Thursday.

Now, FOX counts 228 Democrats as supporting the impeachment inquiry resolution. That's more than enough to adopt a resolution on the House floor.

Now, just tonight, freshman Democratic South Carolina Congressman Joe Cunningham, who flipped a district from red to blue last year, told FOX that he backs the resolution.

Five Democrats, all from swing districts, remain vague as to whether they support the resolution -- New York's Anthony Brindisi, Maine's Jared Golden, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, who has just talked about, Kendra Horn of Oklahoma, and Collin Peterson of Minnesota. The first four were Democratic pickups in 2018.

Now, Peterson has been in Congress since 1991. He's won with 52 percent of the vote the past two cycles. But President Trump won Petersons district by a staggering 31 points in 2016.

Now, today, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer quibbled with calling the measure an impeachment resolution. So, I asked Hoyer if Democrats were concerned with it being perceived as impeachment. Hoyer said, quote, I want to be very careful with my verbiage, close quote.

FOX was told that moderate Democrats were concerned about public interpretation of the resolution.

There's a risk for Republicans, too, in this. The top Republican on the Oversight Committee, Jim Jordan of Ohio, predicted no GOP defections. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise urged a no vote.

Republicans from battleground districts could face a choice: vote for the impeachment resolution or break with our colleagues and get a primary challenge, and that's to say nothing of igniting the ire of President Trump.

Now, also, this impeachment resolution gives great latitude to the House Intelligence Committee. That's rare in an impeachment investigation. The Judiciary Committee would ultimately write articles of impeachment, but Republicans argue that President Trump may only get rights to defend himself if there are Judiciary Committee meetings.

Now, in the last presidential impeachment, House Judiciary Committee -- the House Judiciary Committee heard from independent counsel Ken Starr. They heard him make him case against President Clinton on November 19th, 1998. Then, Clinton's attorney David Kendall got to question Starr in the committee itself.

Now, it's unclear, Sean, if President Trump's counsel will get the opportunity to pose similar questions in this scenario.

Back to you.

HANNITY: All right. Chad in Washington, thank you.

This is just one more dirty political tactic to smear the president, the kind of legal purgatory, if you will, where Democrats can pretend they are holding an official and fair proceeding without affording any rights to the president or to Republicans.

Look at your screen. Now, these were the rules during Bill Clinton's impeachment. Newt Gingrich was the speaker of the House.

The House openly debated. They held an official vote. The president had the ability to call witnesses. His attorneys did submit evidence, build the case.

Now, the corrupt, compromised Schiff, he gets to veto whatever the hell he pretty much wants. He controls the witness list, the rules, the evidence, and Republicans must raise their hand and get permission from the congenital liar and psychotic Trump hater. He is the judge, jury, the executioner in what will be nothing but a public show trial designed to convince and stack the deck against the American people, and this president deserves to be impeached and we are being fair when they're not being fair.

As Congressman Jordan noted from Ohio, these public changes in proceedings -- well, it's like putting lipstick on a pig. But until the charade goes public -- well, Schiff's top secret Soviet style impeachment coup attempt is going to continue. Unlike any, say, Cuban style show trial, the whole truth always takes a backseat to the preferred -- well, propaganda political narrative.

Listen to what Congressman Jordan of Ohio had to say about today's closed door hearings that we didn't get to see or watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM JORDAN, R-OH: Chairman Schiff has prevented the witness from answering certain questions we have during the deposition. You know, one of the things you do in these depositions is you have the basics. Who, what, when, where, why? You ask those questions.

When we asked the whistle-blower who he spoke to after important events in July, Adam Schiff says, no, no, we're not going to let him answer that question. This is not classified. He tells us that.

The witness has their counsel, there are lawyers there. They don't need Adam Schiff being chairman and lawyer. But that's in effect what happened today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, Schiff wouldn't even allow witness today to answer Republicans' questions. Of course.

Well, if Schiff has his way, no Republican would even be at the hearing. In fact, Democrats have started to double book important hearings to prevent Republican lawmakers from being present, as the witch hunt is unfolding.

And today, that led to this confrontation with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Getting interesting. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, D-N.Y.: Do we have a reason for why this hearing is trying to be adjourned or, you know, do we have like a cocktail party?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have one. I have a really easy one. I want to participate in this hearing, but I also need -- I feel the need to be in the SCIF because we're only one of three committees that's allowed to be in the room. I can do a lot of things. I can't be two places at once.

I'm completely comfortable having this hearing, I just prefer to have it at a time when I can participate in it.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: This is -- this is when (ph) they're here.

(CROSSTALK)

JORDAN: We've expressed this to last week about having two things going on at the same time. It's not like we haven't talked about this. But you guys continue to do hearings as the same time there are depositions going on.

And as the gentleman from North Dakota said, we can't be two places at once. You talk about do you want to do your job, there's no way to do that when you have to be two places at once.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, think about this. If the truth was on the Democrat side, there would be no need for these political games, closed-door hearings, stopping Republicans from asking questions.

Now, if there really was a blatant crime -- bribery, treason, misdemeanors -- Democrats could just reveal the evidence. Hold an official vote. Let all sides participate fairly.

But again, we have the transcript to the call in question for all to see. So, I encourage everyone to read it. There's no crime. There's no misconduct whatsoever.

And, by the way, what you will read is the president and doing his sworn duty, upholding the Constitution of the United States and faithfully executing laws. And what's more? No money was withheld. The president of Ukraine claimed there was no pressure ever applied where they didn't even the money was held up for a period.

In order to believe there was an illegal quid pro quo, you'd have to suspend all basic logic but belief on objective truth, all common sense, all reason. You'd have to be a propagandist. You have to buy the big lie.

It's like 1984, a bunch of walking zombies. They just repeat themselves and hypocrisy on a level I frankly have not seen in my 31 years on radio and 24 years at FOX.

But that's what the Democrats want you to do. Suspend, literally, all of your intellectual thought process, ignoring on-camera evidence.

Now, we do have direct evidence of a quid pro quo, how ironic in this case. It happens to be of Joe Biden. The hypocrisy is spectacular.

Look at your screen. It's pretty simple.

Vice President Biden, he becomes the point person for Ukraine in 2014. His son, Hunter, after that, gets hired to serve on the board of a Ukrainian oil and gas giant.

Now, did he have experience in oil? No. In gas? No. In energy? None. In Ukraine? None.

He was asked -- well, why do you think you got hired and were paid millions? I don't know.

Do you think you might how to do with the facts that your father is the second most powerful men in the United States? Probably.

Now, Burisma was clearly not paying for his experience. Why were they offering millions of dollars to somebody who had nothing to offer them? Except that his last name was Biden.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INTERVIEWER: You didn't have any extensive knowledge about natural gas or Ukraine itself though?

HUNTER BIDEN, SON OF JOE BIDEN: No, but I think that I had as much knowledge as anybody else was on the board, if not more.

INTERVIEWER: In the list you gave me of the reasons why you're on that board, you did not list the fact that you are the son of the vice president.

BIDEN: Of course. Yes, no. I --

INTERVIEWER: What role do you think that played?

BIDEN: I think that it is impossible for me to be on any of the boards that I just mentioned without saying that I'm the son of the vice president of the United States.

INTERVIEWER: If your last name wasn't Biden, do you think you would have been asked to be on the board of Burisma?

BIDEN: I don't know. I don't know. Probably not. I don't think that there's a lot of things that would happen in my life that if my last name wasn't Biden.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: So, you've got a quid pro quo on tape. That would be Joe Biden. You got six hours, I'll give you the billion dollars but only if you fire the guy that's investigating my son.

Hunter gets hired, he gets paid millions because his father, yes, probably the most second powerful man in the United States. It seems like that investment kind of paid off of the Bidens. And we have the vice president bragging about withholding all of that U.S. aid money.

By the way, the guy investigating Burisma was fired. Son of a B, they fired him. A real quid pro quo. That's what happened in that particular case.

All right. Joining us now, we are joined by -- he is the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes is with us.

Also, he's a House minority leader, that would be -- well, I guess you're not a leader yet. You hope to be one day. Minority Whip Steve Scalise.

Devin, I know you can't tell us everything but my sources are pretty clear. It's a complete Adam Schiff shutdown. Republicans can't ask questions, Republicans can't do pretty much everything.

You've read this so-called resolution. Is this resolution what Newt Gingrich offered Bill Clinton in 1988?

REP. DEVIN NUNES, R-CALIF.: Well, I think people should be asking themselves, especially if you're a Democrat and you're on the Judiciary Committee is, where is Jerry Nadler? Nobody's seen him for like two and a half months. He is like the missing men in action.

So, clearly, Schiff and the Intelligence Committee Democrats, they completely obliterated the Intelligence Committee. It's now known as the impeachment committee.

So, you know, that resolution is just more of the same and I'll tell you, you mention that you haven't seen this in your many years in radio and TV, I have never in my life seen anything like what happened today. I mean, they have been bad and most of these depositions but to interrupt us continually, to coach the witness to decide whether or not what we are going to be able to ask a witness, and we don't even get witnesses at this point, and it doesn't look like we're going to get any ever, but do not let us ask questions, I have never, ever had that.

And to see someone coach a witness, you know, this isn't the first time that -- Schiff is very good at coaching witnesses, remember? He also met with the whistle-blower. So, this is -- this is just unprecedented.

HANNITY: You know, Steve Scalise, I look at this "New York Times" report. White House Ukraine expert sought to correct transcript of Trump call. OK. That's fine and he is claiming that the vice president is on tape discussing Ukraine's corruption.

Now, I'm actually glad that they bring this up because I would like to know what you think Joe Biden -- what he did was a quid pro quo, fire him in six hours or you don't get a billion dollars, and if his own son admits he's being paid millions with no experience, doesn't that sound like they are buying favor and doesn't that sound like something the American people need to get to the bottom of if Joe Biden sold out his office so his family could make millions when they had no experience? I think that's an important thing that we ought to be investigating.

SCALISE: Well, Sean, I think everybody in America who is objective that looks at this knows it doesn't pass the smell test. Joe Biden himself bragged about it. He said he flew over there and he told them that in six hours he's leaving with the billion dollars of our money, taxpayer money, if they don't fire the guy that's looking into his son. I mean, my goodness, if that's on a quid pro quo, I don't know it is.

But of course, that's why the Democrats wanted to uphold the smoke screen, they don't want you to look over there, they show you that shiny object behind a tree and they try to create all this innuendo about President Trump who, by the way, the law that says that the president, before he gives taxpayer money to any country, has to go and verify, actually verify, that they are not participating in corruption. In fact, that's a law that Adam Schiff himself voted for and so when you look at what President Trump is doing, he is trying to root out the corruption of stomach that started in 2016 with the Russians trying to interfere with our election, some of that went through Ukraine.

Of course, he's got a legal obligation to root out corruption and that's what President Trump is doing creative that's why they want to impeach him instead of looking into the real quid pro quo that he bragged about.

HANNITY: So, the president, recall, Devin Nunes, OK, I would say he is guilty of trying to get to the bottom of election interference and corruption. He is guilty of that.

We know also that there is no quid pro quo. How do we know that? Number one, the Ukrainian president, foreign minister, they both said there's no pressure. Number two, they didn't know money was delayed at the time. And number three, they got the money without doing a darn thing.

So, that would mean the theory goes out the window and blows out, doesn't it?

NUNES: Well, there's a common theme, Sean, in all of these interviews that they have. When they bring in these State Department people, they all say the same thing. They don't have a clue about anything that happened in Ukraine in 2016 but it was really wrong. Donald Trump was wronged, OK, by many in the Ukrainian government.

All of these supposed geniuses at the State Department and here in the swamp, well, they don't know anything about this 2000 -- what happened in 2016. Ukraine is great. Ukraine never did anything wrong.

But then they seem to then think that Donald Trump getting to the bottom of the corruption that they don't even pretend to not even know about, that somehow that's a problem, and that's what we are dealing with here in the swamp and is just going to continue to be the same thing as long as they continue to do this in secret in the dark.

HANNITY: All right. Guys, thank you very much. Maybe one day, we will open it up and get back to the real question.

When we come back, I have a question for Senator Lindsey Graham. I'd like to see him call Adam Schiff, Joe Biden, and Hunter Biden before his committee. We'll ask him when he comes back. He will also weigh in on the shady tactics of the Democrats behind closed doors.

A lot more in tonight's breaking news edition of “Hannity.” Glad you're with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. We have the transcript, yet the Ukraine on non- whistle-blower whistle-blower, hearsay whistle-blower hoax continues. Today, a White House official, Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman testified behind closed doors about his Ukraine call concerns and President Trump blasted him as, quote, a Never Trumper witness.

Here now with reaction, Senator Lindsey Graham.

Senator, to be a Democrat today, this is the depth of blind rage, psychosis and hypocrisy.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C.: Yes.

HANNITY: This is what you -- think about this. You have to be OK with Hillary stealing the primary from Bernie.

GRAHAM: Right.

HANNITY: You have to accept that she violated the Espionage Act. You have to accept that what she did with subpoenaed emails and Bleach Bit, and hammers and deletions is okay.

You have to accept that she did have a dirty Russian dossier she tried to use. You have to accept that it was okay to use the unverified dossier even though you warned five times to get a warrant when it's unverifiable and lie on FISA applications. You have to accept the outsourcing of intelligence gathering. You have to accept that Ukraine is allowed to interfere to help her and it's not a big deal.

GRAHAM: Right.

HANNITY: That's how insane this now is if you're a Democrat.

GRAHAM: Well, it's even deeper. You have to accept that President Trump is president. That's the problem.

They don't accept the President Trump won the election.

HANNITY: Aah.

GRAHAM: And America hates a sore loser as much as any country on the planet. This is an unfair process being driven by sore losers and there is not one vote in the United States Senate to impeach President Trump based on this phone call because he did nothing wrong.

HANNITY: Adam Schiff is now --

GRAHAM: Among Republicans, among Republicans.

HANNITY: Adam Schiff is now compromised. He is now a fact witness in this case because his staff had contact with a non-whistle-blower.

GRAHAM: Right.

HANNITY: Will you call or are you able to call Adam Schiff and I'll also like to be very interested if you can call Joe Biden and Hunter Biden, because I happen to believe in my heart. Now maybe it's my wild imagination. But if he was Vice President Trump that well use taxpayer money, had a quid pro quo. Fire him. You get the money. Don't fire him. No money.

And Hunter with no experience gets millions. I think if it was Vice President Trump and Don Junior. I think--

GRAHAM: You got that right.

HANNITY: I think the media and the Democrats would be acting differently, can you call them before your committee?

GRAHAM: Well, I can't call Adam Schiff. I mean we've got speech and debate constitutional separations here, but somebody who is investigating a crime could call Adam Schiff potentially as a witness. No member of Congress is above the law. But congressman can't call senators, senators can't call the President, because of separation power.

But in terms of Joe Biden and Hunter Biden, yes, I think somebody definitely needs to look into this. And it was about foreign aid, so the Foreign Relations Committee would have oversight.

But let me get back to what's going on in the House. In the history of the country, we've never had the intelligence committee participate in an impeachment inquiry under the resolution they're going to pass tomorrow. The President's Council cannot participate in the Intel Committee inquiry. So, the process denied right to counsel and Republicans can't call witnesses without Schiff agreeing. So, this whole thing is a sham.

HANNITY: Do you think, because I believe what I'm holding in my hands, this is a phony resolution. This is fake news. This is fake fairness. OK, so they release--

GRAHAM: It's two cubes by half.

HANNITY: But I believe you're responsible for this, because you put out your petition, you've got 50 signatures, 50 is a pretty magic number. Now my question is, maybe we should have part two and say unless they do what Newt Gingrich did, we still feel the same way. What do you think?

GRAHAM: Well I think Joe Cunningham from South Carolina is a Democrat holding the first congressional district. He says, he's going to vote for the inquiry and here's what I would tell Congressman Cunningham, you're voting for an inquiry that allows the intelligence committee to do witness interviews behind closed doors and the president's counsel is not allowed to attend. The basic premise of due process is to confront your witnesses, the accusers against you and call witnesses on your behalf.

Neither can be done under this resolution. This is a crumb of due process. It's not even half a loaf. And we tried to do this to a Democrat. They'd be eating us alive. Let me just stress this. The Intel Committee, the President's counsel cannot participate, and Republicans cannot call witnesses unless Schiff agrees. That is a joke. And any Democrat who votes for things I believe is voting for an un-American process.

HANNITY: Senator you've been at a number of the President's rallies I know the one in Dallas you had like 35,000 people outside watching. OK, greatest show on earth. I don't know if band that even gets that kind of crowd.

But here's my question to you. Because I do have the honor of doing three hours of radio and I see my social media and I can tell you, my belief as evidenced by these crowds and the intensity. I have never in my life witness such resolution and anger. That if the Democrats do this and impeach him and they can and he's not going to get convicted in the Senate, I believe that the people that voted for Trump in 2016 and probably many others are going to be willing to wait in line a month in the pouring rain and sleet and snow to vote for Trump and reelect him in 2020. Do you agree with that?

GRAHAM: Yes, the backlash is going to be wide and deep because what they're doing to the President Trump is unfair, sore losers can't accept the consequences of losing an election in this process in the House is a joke. President Trump is being treated unfairly and most Americans are going to say so when they understand what's happening.

HANNITY: So, they're really going to help President Trump get re-elected with this, aren't they?

GRAHAM: We're going to take the House back, keep the Senate and the President is going to win because of this B.S.

HANNITY: I agree with you. Senator, thank you. Left criticizing President Trump over al-Baghdadi's death. Wow. Knows no bounds this psychosis. Dan Bongino, Geraldo, they're next. Straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Right now, the media mob keeps finding more and more ways to destroy their credibility like actually offering while flattering praise of the terror leader al-Baghdadi. Don't get any sicker than that. Not only did the Washington Post call him an austere religious scholar who dies at 48. Now they have a columnist who is under fire for actually challenging President Trump's assertion that al-Baghdadi died a coward.

And it gets worse because even prominent Democrats are so consumed with anti-Trump rage and psychosis that they're actually hitting the President for his tone after bringing the world's most wanted terrorists to justice. Can't make this up, so I've got to show you. Here's the evidence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, D-CALIF., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump. That press conference was extraordinary. You would think that he was talking about watching and giving commentary on a video game. He clearly does not fully appreciate the importance of the job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope he will tone down the rhetoric. There is no reason to gloat over it and insult Baghdadi and let that video be a recruiting tool for ISIS or al-Qaeda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: We don't want to make him mad. What they're forgetting is Trump kicked the living crap out of him, because he did what Obama and Biden wouldn't do and he took the rules of engagement through an eye out the window and he bombed the living hell out of ISIS and defeated the caliphate in Syria.

Biden Obama didn't do that. Here with reaction, the author of the new book Exonerated, Fox News Contributor Dan Bongino along with Fox News Correspondent at Large, Geraldo Rivera.

You know Geraldo you said a while back. It's kind of funny, our history. You were in 1998 on some other channel hosting your own show against my show.

GERALDO RIVERA, CORRESPONDENT AT LARGE: You think?

HANNITY: And you were against impeachment then. You're against impeachment now. I don't think it's ever been this bad though. You give me your perspective.

RIVERA: Well, I lived through Nixon also. So, Nixon, Clinton and now the President, President Trump. I think that President Trump. This is a total railroad job. I mean if you were to vote right now among the American people whether they think this lame phone call to the Ukrainian President is an impeachable offense as envisioned by the framers of the United States Constitution, they would say absolutely not.

This is a waste of the country's time. There are a dozen bills, crucial bills funding the government that will lie idle as we pursue this futile exercise. The House is clearly a stacked deck. The Senate will quit the President as soon as they get it in their chamber. This is appalling and I really have to say that I am deeply disappointed in the mainstream media for the equivocal nature of their reaction to the death of this mass murdering dog.

This person who cut people's heads off, who conquered a swath of land created a nation, robbed tens of millions of dollars, killed thousands and thousands of people, almost wiped out the Yazidis, an ethnic group. I mean this was a gigantic achievement by American special forces, our operators. We should be celebrating it the way we celebrated the death of Osama bin Laden. Instead we're petty picking style points about the President.

I think it's really lamentable, Sean.

HANNITY: You know Dan, I think the President by looking into election interference which for three years Democrats said, foreign election interference is bad, and the President asking to get to the bottom of it. He was exercising his constitutional oath. I think to get to the bottom of Joe Biden's quid pro quo with taxpayer money and Hunter Biden's millions of dollars for knowing nothing. I want to get to the bottom of that too and the president was right to get to the bottom of that to even ask. That's corruption.

DAN BONGINO, CONTRIBUTOR: Sean, right he was. No, you're absolutely right. You know if you're a Democrat, how do you look at yourself in the mirror. And if you're one of the media bootlickers with your lips surgically attached to the arse of the Democrat Party. I mean how did you get up in the morning and look at yourself.

Sean, you just pointed out one. I'll just give you one major. You're all hypocrites, you Democrats. I'm not talking about voting Democrats in the country. I'm talking about the hill swamp rat Democrats. I'm sure there is good people out there, genuinely care. But the hill is infested with TDS level 6 Trump derangement syndrome.

You know you told us for two years foreign collusion in an election matter. Yet we know for a fact, you know facts liberals, those things you have a really hard time with that the Ukrainians colluded with the Democrats to try to damage Trump in the election. You don't give a damn about that. You know we heard today by the way that said that a decorated military officer who claims to have some information that you can't scrutinize him, Sean. You can't - and thank him for his service, he deserves it.

But having said that, it's funny how Mike Flynn, we not only can we scrutinized Mike Flynn, we're going to - we should crap on Mike Flynn at every single opportunity, if you're a liberal. That's OK. You liberals are frauds, America is tired of you. I'm tired of you. Sean, one more thing just to hit on Geraldo's point too.

And just in the last few years, we've had the Democrats, I had to make a list, defend MS13, infanticide, we had Bill Murr calling for recessions and now they're defending a rapist, murderous, pig, dog, cockroach who are special forces and our dogs were braver than this guy and they're defending him. Good job, media, alienating the entire country, you imbeciles.

RIVERA: One point where I disagree though is, I think that Colonel Vindman by earning the Purple Heart and serving his country honorably deserves a pass. I hated what they did to General Flynn.

BONGINO: No. Geraldo--

RIVERA: Let me finish, Dan.

BONGINO: That's B.S. Nobody gets a pass.

RIVERA: This man served our nation--

(CROSSTALK)

BONGINO: Nobody gets a pass.

RIVERA: You've got to give him a pass.

BONGINO: No, you don't get a pass, Geraldo. That's total crap. The truth matters. Mike Flynn didn't get a pass. Mike Flynn could go to jail.

RIVERA: You can't suggest he's not telling the truth. It's not your true.

BONGINO: That's garbage.

RIVERA: It may not be your truth, but he is a patriot.

BONGINO: Colonel Flynn, thank you for your service.

(CROSSTALK)

BONGINO: You do not get a pass. That is garbage. No, you are wrong. Take that back. You are wrong. That is garbage. Nobody gets a pass on the truth.

HANNITY: Exit question, yes or no answer. Last question does this in the end help Trump, yes or no, Geraldo.

RIVERA: I think that the American people will look at this--

HANNITY: Yes or no, we're out of time.

RIVERA: Oh, my God, what they did to this person. I think yes, it helps President Trump.

HANNITY: Dan, yes or no.

BONGINO: Absolutely helps President Trump. America is tired of this garbage.

HANNITY: I agree. All right. Thank you all. Nice fiery debate. All right, when we come back federal judge reopens the Covington High School student's defamation case against the Washington Post. Good. Trace Gallagher has the details. Straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Rush Limbaugh slamming Speaker of the House and name only Pelosi and the House Democrats for their distraction tactics and amid a great win for the United States. Death of al-Baghdadi. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, HOST: Nancy Pelosi has decided that the best way to distract from Trump killing Baghdadi and by the way, we got his successor the next day. al-Baghdadi's successor is also now room temperature actually Baghdadi never made room temperature; he was vaporized in about 3000 degrees with his own explosives suicide vest.

But we got his successor. So, Pelosi got to distract from that. Can't have her party sympathizing too long with al-Baghdadi. So, she has announced the House is finally going to vote on Thursday whether to hold an impeachment inquiry or not. This still is not the vote everybody thinks it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, Former Bush administration Deputy Chief of Staff, Fox News Contributor Karl Rove. Michael Best Law, President, Former Trump Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus. Hi, Karl. it's a phony resolution. It offers nothing that Newt offered Clinton. What is the political fallout of this in the end?

KARL ROVE, CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it's clearly an attempt by the Democrats to sort of you know they began to feel the heat from the public criticism about failing to be fair and to give due process and give the President his rights in this process. So, they've come up with a phony temporary measure.

You Republicans can suggest witnesses and you can suggest questions, but you've got to get our permission first. And so, you know this is ridiculous. If they were really honest about wanting a fair and impartial system of investigating this matter in which the President had his rights, they keep saying, he's not above the law. Well, apparently, they believe that he's not under the law either, because it doesn't apply to him.

They would have passed the same rules that were in effect for the 1998 impeachment of Bill Clinton and for the 1973, 1974 impeachment of Richard Nixon. They would have allowed the minority to call witnesses, the minority to take depositions, for statements to be made public, for the President to have a lawyer, President and all of the staff meetings to suggest witnesses, to ask questions and at the end of the presentation of the evidence, to state the President's position on that material.

But nope, nope they're going to do it their way and their way is one sided and not transparent and completely unfair.

HANNITY: And Reince, Schiff is a compromise fact witness in the case. Let's assume they impeach Trump and the House, goes nowhere in the Senate. How does it impact 2020?

REINCE PRIEBUS, MICHAEL BEST LAW PRESIDENT: Well, you already saw Sean in the poll last week, the Marquette poll in Wisconsin which is the biggest must win state in America and it showed that only 41 percent of the people in Wisconsin support impeachment, which is one of the worst numbers in the entire country. And Karl is right.

Look, I think the Republicans, I think the leadership on the Republican side, you Sean so many others have done a great job in pushing back on the issue of this being totally procedurally flawed. The American people are getting it that this is a hose job. It actually started I thought Matt Gates last week by charging into the star chamber was brilliant last week, people gave him a hard time about, but he shed light on what was happening.

But what I'd like to see Sean now the Republicans have to start pushing back on the merits. They've done a good job on procedure, but like a motion to dismiss, the White House Counsel's office put out a three page paper and say look, if everything you say is true Democrats, if everything you said is true about President Trump, this is why your case should be dismissed because it doesn't state a claim upon which a relief can be granted. It's time to argue the merits as well Sean on this case and put it to bed.

HANNITY: I agree. Listen Karl, the President had a duty to look into election interference that a Ukraine court and Politico wrote about. He also had a duty, I look at Biden's quid pro quo and leveraging our money in the millions that go to his son with no experience, imagine if it was Donald Trump and Donald Trump Junior.

ROVE: Yes, absolutely. I hate to dissent from Hannity and Priebus because that's a dangerous pair to be on the opposite side.

HANNITY: No one against me is very dangerous.

ROVE: Let's spend a little bit more time though talking about process. Let's not immediately pivot. We've got another couple of days in which we need to highlight this, because we're now starting to get the message through to the American people. Otherwise, the Democrats would not have come up with this fake maneuver, so let's spend a couple of more days pounding away on how unfair this is, get ourselves through Wednesday, get ourselves through Thursday, get ourselves through Friday. But I agree with you, we need to be--

HANNITY: Listen, I agree with you. This is a sham.

PRIEBUS: I agree with you, Karl, but we've got to talk merits at some point. The reason the Mueller probe kind of fell apart was it that - was that there was never a crime of collusion, then it just became an obstruction case.

HANNITY: The President did his duty. That's the irony. More “Hannity,” next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right, unfortunately we went long tonight. We're going to have more big, on the big breaking developments, so the Covington Catholic lawsuit tomorrow, big win for them today, which we're really happy about.

This is a sham document. This is not what Newt Gingrich offer Bill Clinton. The media, the Democrats are lying again. That's all they do. The President did the right thing in terms of the Ukraine and asking about Biden. More tomorrow. Let not your heart be troubled. We'll never be the media mob. Here's Laura Ingraham.

How are you?

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