'Hannity' on Biden's 'half-baked' troop withdrawal plan

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Hannity: Biden's 'half-baked' Afgan withdrawal plan will get Americans killed

'Hannity' host rips the president for being at the mercy of Taliban terrorists in Afghanistan

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," August 25, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: All right, Tucker. Hey, Tucker, and thank you.

And welcome to HANNITY.

And breaking tonight, the State Department has now at this hour just issued a security alert, telling all Americans in Afghanistan to immediately leave the gates surrounding Karzai International Airport. As the situation now in Afghanistan remains dire, thousands of Americans and our allies remain trapped behind enemy lines. The situation is deteriorating by the hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: The Taliban whether we like it or not is in control -- largely in control of the country, certainly in control of the city of Kabul.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know why people and -- but they are hiding, they are hiding the reality of the Taliban.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I want to encourage the president to stay longer, but he has to as I say weigh the equities of the danger versus the advantage, and I trust his judgment.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), MINORITY LEADER: What are you telling those Americans, and maybe they're not in Kabul but they're somewhere in Afghanistan, how will they get out?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm in contact with my friends. I'm in contact with my family. And every one of us, we are so worried and we have no idea what will happen after August 31st.

REP. MIKE WALTZ (R-FL): We are on the cusp, Harris, of having the biggest mass hostage situation in American history. It's going to make 1979 and Tehran look like a sleepover.

JENNIFER GRIFFIN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: How many individuals on terror watch lists have been screened or found at any of the screening points either in Qatar, Ramstein or in the U.S.?

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: I don't know.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): If you believe we left Afghanistan, we've ended the war between the U.S. and radical Islam, you're a fool.

ANNOUNCER: Americans Held Hostage Behind Enemy Lines, Day 11.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Americans held hostage beyond enemy lines, day 11, and yesterday, the Biden administration, they promised to give you America an accurate number of how many Americans are still trapped. But today, no such luck. And depending on who you talk to at the State Department, as many as 4,000 Americans are still trying to get out or according to Anthony Blinken, it could be 1,500 plus or minus a few dozen here and there. In other words, they still have absolutely no idea, not a clue.

Now, this is critical information. We need an accurate count, desperately. Any American in Afghanistan after August the 31st, that is this coming Tuesday, will be left behind enemy lines and subjected or subjugated to the whims of brutal terrorists. Ostensibly, yes, they will be hostages.

And today, when one NBC reporter asked Biden what he will do if Americans are still in Afghanistan after the Taliban's deadline that he said he agreed to, Biden responded with a joke, "You'll be the first person I call" -- you decide if it's funny.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: What will you do if Americans are still there after the deadline?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You'll be the first person I'll call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Not particularly funny to me considering how dire things have become. The president answered zero questions, as per usual, doesn't want to get in trouble after that and said nothing about the crisis not, one word in Afghanistan. He had more important things to do -- by the way, like touting the five trillion dollars in reckless spending instead of being fully focused on fixing this mess in Afghanistan that he himself created.

Biden's secretary of state meanwhile noted that there were no concrete plans for evacuating people after August 31st, other than certain diplomatic efforts and economic assistance. Hmm, I wonder if we call that ransom. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLINKEN: Your question?

REPORTER: Is there any concrete steps --

BLINKEN: Oh, yes, I'm sorry.

REPORTER: -- that you can give to people who are very worried right now understandably about whether they're just going to be forgotten, left behind, disappeared once the United States withdraws its military and can no longer protect their safe passage to the airport or, you know, their other livelihoods?

BLINKEN: The short answer is no, they will not be forgotten. And as I said, we will use every diplomatic, economic assistance tool at our disposal, working hand in hand with the international community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All military will be gone so we have diplomatic and economic assistance as our tools to use to get Americans free if they're left behind. In other words, the grand master plan post August the 31st -- let's beg and bribe the Taliban, pay a ransom to release anyone still held hostage behind enemy lines -- which is pretty much what we're now doing except after August the 31st, our military will be completely evacuated.

The airport will be in total control of the Taliban and anyone left behind will have no way out. Why? Because of Joe Biden, our people, our fellow citizens, quite literally will be at the mercy of Taliban terrorists.

Biden ignored one warning after another as the country literally collapsed before the world's eyes. Multiple sources telling me tonight, the CIA, they pulled out six or seven weeks ago and to their credit they were telling Joe Biden exactly what was happening on the ground. They did not mince words. And by the way, we are told, our sources, so did the Department of Defense.

Joe Biden completely ignored them and the way he has been characterizing it to you the American people is completely at odds with the intelligence that he was being given. Look at your screen and those papers will come out one day. He ignored their warnings.

Look at May in Afghanistan when the Taliban began their offensive, he ignored. Notice the red, it starts to take over. Then in June, after the Taliban took control of dozens of provinces. What happened to this great Afghan army that Joe Biden was bragging about?

He ignored their warnings in July. Look at the map in July, when the Taliban controlled the vast majority of the country and were on the march. We still had control of Kabul. He could have seen what was happening and acted immediately, and we could have logistically, safely extracted every American and our equipment which I'll get to in a minute.

In fact, just as the Taliban was closing in, Biden closed Bagram Air Base. By the way, the Trump plan would have kept that in our possession. And so, by August, it was too late, game over, nor did he want to come back from his vacation.

Our embassy was abandoned, he stayed on vacation. Thousands of additional American troops had to be sent back to Kabul, even though we saw this all coming, just to secure the airport which is now our only way out of the country.

Well, there's one problem with that. The Taliban -- they control the entire perimeter of the airport with all their checkpoints and they alone decide who will get to the airport.

But according to Joe Biden, this was always going to happen. There was never a way out that's not chaotic. Yes, there was.

His hands were tied, he said, and he planned for every scenario. That seems to be a lie also. Nothing could be further from the truth.

This all could have been prevented easily. You don't have to take my words for it, just listen to President Trump. This is way back in 2017. He ran on the pledge that he wanted to get us out of there as quickly as possible. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT: The consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable. 9/11, the worst terrorist attack in our history was planned and directed from Afghanistan, because that country was ruled by a government that gave comfort and shelter to terrorists. A hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and al Qaeda, would instantly fill just as happened before September 11th.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Remember, not a single American was killed in the last months of the Trump presidency, around 18 months. And that was even after he made the deal with the Taliban. And guess what? They weren't on the march then because they believed and feared Donald Trump. President Trump was right in 2017. Joe Biden was wrong.

And now, thanks to Biden's half-baked withdrawal plan, thousands of people, it's guaranteed at this point they will sadly die. Afghans that assisted us will die and Americans everywhere are less safe. In less than six days, anyone left in Afghanistan who assisted the United States or the Afghan government, along with their families will be killed by the Taliban. It's already happening, according to reports.

And America left behind the entire database now in the Taliban's possession, they will all be hunted down. And when they are caught they will be murdered and Joe Biden is the person you can blame.

And think about this -- many of them will be murdered with the very weapons that Joe Biden didn't make preparations to bring home or destroy at the very least. I would have brought them home, a reported $83 billion worth of weapons that you paid for. That includes -- get this -- 75,000 armored vehicles. Get this -- 208 Black Hawk helicopters and other aircraft, $200 million worth of drones. We gave them our drones, 600,000 military-grade guns and other weapons.

And let's not forget the thousands of night vision goggles, uniforms, bulletproof vests, other protective gear.

And then to top it off, the Taliban even has access now to biometrics data left behind that means for any Afghan or anyone that assisted U.S. forces over the past 20 years, they will be told look into this computer, and if there's a match, that person will die. And then to top it all off, al Qaeda is very much alive and well, in spite of what Joe Biden and others are saying in Afghanistan, and they are working hand in hand with their brothers in the Taliban. They will likely have access to some of these weapons. And now a safe haven to plan future attacks likely against us as their number one target.

This as our intel capabilities have been shattered, although in all credit to the CIA and our intelligence community, they did warn Biden. The CIA pulled back, according to my sources, and they warned in great detail exactly what would happen. My understanding is there is a paper trail, now the people that will be left there, we will be left safe here at home, just 20 years after 9/11. Operation Enduring Freedom has now under Joe Biden become operation tyranny and death.

But Joe Biden doesn't seem to be bothered. Thousands of Americans, our friends hopelessly trapped behind enemy lines and right now I guess as Joe Biden sleeps ever so peacefully at the White House, not a care in the world.

Here with reaction, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North.

Colonel, not many good options. The clock is ticking. I thought you laid out a incredible plan to help our Americans trap behind enemy lines. Nobody's listening to you unfortunately.

LT. COL. OLIVER NORTH (RET), CO-AUTHOR OF "WE DIDN'T FIGHT FOR SOCIALISM": Well, others are listening but the American people are obviously listening, and this administration is not.

As you noted earlier, Sean, this afternoon, Secretary of State Blinken came out of hiding to hold a 45-minute-long press conference. It was so full of incorrect information, it was simply surreal.

He claimed, for example, that 82,000 people had been evacuated from Kabul airport, that there are fewer than American citizens who want to be evacuated still on the ground in Afghanistan, and that the airport in the last 24 hours had seen several thousand more leave. He says the United States diplomats have been assured by the Taliban that they're going to still help Amcits (ph) to get out of Afghanistan after the U.S. troops are gone and, of course, nothing said about those remarkable Afghan freedom fighters who were with us and fought with us and died beside us for 20 years.

Obviously, that's not on his radar. It's different by the way from what the people on the ground are telling me. These are folks who have been risking their lives, some of them are going down out into town to bring Amcits and Afghan citizens who are at risk of being killed because they work for us into the airport.

Here's what they have to say about the situation. I'm going to read this right directly as I just received it just before coming on air with you.

Our people in Rota and Sigonella say they see no surge of C-17s that would support a 60-a-day mission and Blinken stated that 19,000 went out in two days. With standard C-17 seating of approximately 158 packs, that's people, that's 120 planes, or 60-a-day if you put packs on the deck at 325 a plane, that's 58 planes or so a day.

Finally, no one we're working with has any belief that the unbelievable gate process and Department of State screening can handle those numbers.

At this very minute, we have 4,000 -- over 4,500 Amcits here at the airport and at safe houses nearby, but state has ordered the gates to be closed. Our comms, communications, right, our comms are all spoofed by the Taliban, al Qaeda, the Pakistanis and the Chinese. This is from guys on the ground literally minutes ago.

The Turks are leaving us now tonight .What that means, Sean, is that the Turks were supposed to be the first ones in and the last ones to go because it's an Islamic country and they're going to protect us as we're departing. They're getting out now.

It's very likely that the last flights out are going to be on Saturday or Sunday.

We ought to put General Donohue -- and General Donohue is the commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division. He's the senior U.S. military personnel person on that airfield. We ought to put General Donohue in charge right now, maybe, just maybe he can find a way to get us out.

Too bad they didn't take your advice -- meaning mine -- about opening up Bagram or some other airfield. Pray for us all and those we've tried to help. God bless America, Simper Fi, marine.

Sean, the only good news coming out of all this is what's happening up north in the Panjshir Valley. The Panjshir Valley started out with a force of about 500. Then you had 500 aviators leave and move their airplanes to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan -- Tajikistan excuse me. Get my -- get my stans --

HANNITY: Yeah, your stans mix up. It happens, but it doesn't take away the profound nature of that note.

NORTH: No, that's -- well, I'll tell you, what's -- the good news up there is it started out with about 500 aviators and their family members. And I asked -- called back to General Zia who's out there with them, he led them out, he's now been flown -- there's another nation that has airplanes up there. They're not being named, there's no point in fighting trouble for them. They flew him up to Istanbul to ask for more help.

In Istanbul, that's where they found out that the Turks are coming out tonight and he came back to me today and said only 60 of my aviators have asked to leave. The rest of them want to stay and fight. And so you now have over 5,000 people who joined what they now call the National Liberation Front. It's coming. It's not there yet, I got a little experience doing these things. I'm hopeful that we're going to have an opportunity somehow to make this fighting force enough to boot -- boot the Taliban and their buddies out of town.

HANNITY: All right, Colonel. Thank you for that report. We appreciate it. Keep staying on it.

Joining us now, two individuals who did escape Afghanistan with the help of Senator Cotton. That's Syed, is a college student who was brutally attacked by the Taliban while trying to get to the airport, and Mohammad whose identity we are keeping hidden is an interpreter and an American citizen who fled with his family.

Syed, tell us about your story.

SYED MOSAVY, STUDENT WHO ESCAPED AFGHANISTAN: Yes, so my story is that I tried to go to the airport as I was -- I got an email from the embassy that said that I had to make my way to the Karzai Airport. And as I made my way there, there was already thousand people there. I mean, people that were there from the first day, that was inside the airport, they stayed outside when they were even kicked out. A lot of people that was not documented and a lot of U.S. citizens.

But we had gate passes and everything, we went through the gates, we went to the gates -- we went through the crowd and went to the gates, but then the Taliban and there was three gates.

So, first, we tried the U.S. Afghan -- the Afghan army gate. They looked at our passports, they looked at our, you know, citizenship and gate passed they still wouldn't let us in even though we had gate passes. They would hit us with the back of a machine gun. They would hit us with some stones and everything.

So we tried two, three times, couple times, that would hit women. I mean, we saw children die in there. We saw everybody getting on the ground. We saw the air forces, the Taliban and the U.S., the Afghan army shooting on the ground, shooting on the air, they even used to throw a flash bang. So we tried several days we tried two, three days to get through the gates.

But we were supposed to be the priority because we were the U.S. citizens, but I guess apparently, they would let people in that they knew. So, mainly, they target Hazaras, which they you know the way they speak, the dialogue and everything they would only -- yeah?

HANNITY: So you feel lucky that you have gotten out, correct?

MOSAVY: Yes. I mean, we literally lost hope. We went three times. We still couldn't get through the crowd and it was just impossible for us to get out with the women and children that we had.

HANNITY: Let me go to Mohammad.

Mohammad, you were an interpreter. You'd gone back for a funeral of a family member that and -- in Afghanistan, then you were stranded there. You still have family there. You help the Americans out.

Now all of that data that would probably identify you and connect you to your family is in the hands of the Taliban. That's got to concern you tonight.

MOHAMMAD, FORMER AFGHAN INTERPRETER WHO ESCAPED AFGHANISTAN: Yeah, actually sir most people are worried about his family, about those friends and family which they are stuck in the gates and they can't enter the gate. Yeah, we really worry about our family and most -- my relatives are still waiting to enter the gates with complete documents. But most people are waiting and try to enter the gate without any documents. That's why they make problem for everyone.

HANNITY: Yeah, and the odds are getting less every hour as I'm sure you're aware and which I feel terrible for.

Syed, thank you. Mohammad, thank you for sharing your stories.

One of the reasons both these gentlemen got out safely is because of Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton. He helped get both Mohammad and Syed out of Afghanistan.

You know, Senator, Joe Biden has taken a whopping I think five questions throughout all of this. He's never answered. Why didn't he act in May, June and July as the Taliban was taking huge geographical areas within Afghanistan?

He hasn't explained why he's sticking to this August 31st deadline, and why doesn't our military stay until every American is out of there.

And why he trusts the Taliban, because I don't particularly trust him, Senator, and I don't think you do either.

SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AR): No, Sean, I don't. I think Joe Biden hasn't explained those things because they're all inexplicable.

I'm very glad that we could have played a small part in helping Syed and Mohammad and their families get back to the United States, couldn't be prouder of all the young men and women on my team who have been pitching in around the clock for the last two weeks to help all of our fellow citizens.

But I think the news tonight gives an example of why it's so ill-advised for President Biden to be rushing to this August 31 deadline. All Americans around the airport have been told to leave immediately because of a terrorist threat. Let's hope there's not a terrorist attack for the safety of our troops.

But the very fact that Joe Biden is sticking stubbornly to this August 31 deadline indicates that all it takes is for the Taliban or ISIS or Al Qaeda to continue with these kind of threats to prevent hundreds if not thousands of Americans from being left behind enemy lines come Tuesday.

HANNITY: You know, first of all, Senator, I want to -- on behalf of so many, I know you helped a lot of people, I mean, in the hundreds. And you've been active and pretty much around the clock with this.

Senator, we're pulling out. Our military is coming home. We're told by everybody there -- and I -- my source has told me tonight that what Joe Biden and Jen Psaki are saying publicly is not what is in the intelligence, that they are spinning it in a way that is inaccurate.

That you've (ph) been your belief, is that what you're hearing?

COTTON: Sean, I've heard the same thing. In fact, I heard just today from a senior CIA officer who's appalled at what's happened over the last couple weeks there and what's happening not just with our own citizens and green card holders, but also with the Afghans who risk their lives to serve alongside of us. And that Joe Biden knew or certainly should have known that this kind of ill-advised, ill-planned chaotic withdrawal would lead to the collapse of the Afghan Army when he pulled out all the support for example for the Afghan airport or air force, and he did so in the middle of the fighting season.

Again, you can disagree about the decision to withdraw. Our troops from Afghanistan, reasonable people have different viewpoints on that. But the way Joe Biden executed that decision has practically ensured that hundreds if not thousands of Americans --

HANNITY: He could have done it in May --

COTTON: -- be left behind Taliban lines. Yeah.

HANNITY: -- June, July.

Senator, do you believe we're actually going to leave American citizens behind and abandon them, behind enemy lines? Is that where we're headed?

COTTON: I mean, Sean, it certainly seems like that. Today, Tony Blinken said there's only 1,500 American citizens left. That's much lower than the administration has been saying.

In fact, two hours earlier, his aides were briefing congressional staff and said 4,100 Americans were in Afghanistan. I don't think they got 2,600 Americans out in two hours. I think they're spinning these numbers.

And come Tuesday night, when there are hundreds or thousands of Americans left, they're going to say -- well, they didn't want to leave, they wanted to stay there, I guess that's their decision, too bad for them and we're out of here.

Because I think Joe Biden knows that there are going to be Americans there and he once again is not taking responsibility for his disastrous miscalculation.

HANNITY: Senator, I know you and many other senators, Republican and Democrat and congressmen, Republican and Democrat, have gone way above and beyond to help our fellow Americans out, I thank each and every one of you. Thank you.

When we come back, the Taliban is warning women to stay indoors, saying its fighters are not trained to deal with women. Okay, Lara Logan and Congressman Michael Waltz he has a lot to say. You'll see next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: And tonight, we continue to follow the attacks, the abuse against Afghan women under the Taliban rule. One female journalist is speaking out saying she is changing her location every day just to stay alive. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AFGHAN JOURNALIST: I don't know what will happen to me because if they find me, they will kill me. They are checking for the people who always talked against them.

Every day, I'm changing my address to be sure that they can't track me. The Taliban can't track me down. They can't search for me. They can't find me. So I'm changing my address.

My friends are afraid because they think that they might be targeted because of me. I can't trust my friends because I don't know who is actually my enemy right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And get this, Taliban spokesperson who remains active on Twitter -- by the way, @jack still has not banned terror groups' propagandists. Well, he told reporters that women need to stay home because Taliban fighters, they're not trained on how to speak to them. Okay.

And this is the terror group that Biden is counting on, depending on, trusting in all of this? The same terror group that Tony Blinken is suggesting is potential ally, what a complete, utter disgrace.

Here with reaction, FOX Nation host Lara Logan, along with Florida Congressman Michael Waltz, Green Beret veteran, he served in Afghanistan.

Congressman, I'll start with you.

I want to first ask you about this is that is my sources are telling me that, in fact, the Biden administration knows there's thousands of Americans, not 1,500 as Tony Blinken said today. My sources are telling me they know they're going to leave them behind. My sources have told me that they were warned by our intelligence community, our Defense Department, in no uncertain terms early, May, June, July, what was happening and they did nothing.

What's -- what are you hearing?

REP. MIKE WALTZ (R-FL): Yeah, we've received a series of briefings the last several days, Sean, and it is very clear that this White House is not being honest with the American people. We're hearing very different things behind closed doors from these briefers.

The Defense Department in no in certain terms told Biden and his White House to leave a residual force behind and to not do this. The intelligence community was clear that al Qaeda 3.0 will come roaring back with the Taliban, that they are married at the hip and they fully intend to attack the United States again.

And then, finally, we have Americans right now not just behind enemy lines in Kabul but outside of Kabul, and there is a capability to go get them but the White House isn't authorizing it.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Can you say -- am I hearing you correctly -- Congressman, am I hearing you correctly is that the information that they're sharing with you is being directly contradicted publicly by the White House? That they are lying to us, they're not being totally honest? Is that -- is that fair?

WALTZ: Either they're lying, heartless, clueless or all of the above, Sean.

HANNITY: Wow.

WALTZ: But it is a very different picture from what we're hearing from Psaki and Kirby and from the president of the United States.

And then all of us congressional offices that are dealing with people directly on the ground know that people aren't being allowed through these Taliban checkpoints, know that they're being stopped at the gates, know that -- we just had an incident today where the Taliban took their cell phones and smashed them and turned them back -- turned them back around.

HANNITY: Yeah.

WALTZ: So, you know, they're paying this -- you know, everything is fine hunky-dory picture, but we know the reality is different on the ground, and we're being briefed very differently behind closed doors.

HANNITY: Well, that means they know the truth.

Lara Logan, you've been in a lot of war zones. You've been on the ground for long periods of time. You have a unique experience.

Let's talk about that as it relates to the future for women in Afghanistan and you were very smart in a tweet I picked up that you put out today in pointing out that this line of Tony Blinken that we will diplomatically and economically work after we leave -- after our military leaves with the Taliban, that sounds like ransom. You point out negotiating with terrorists is against the law.

LARA LOGAN, FOX NATION HOST: Yeah. I mean, what happened to that? Why is nobody talking about that? Why is nobody talking about the fact that we have us allies in Afghanistan who are still there who are fighting the Taliban and yet we are hell-bent on recognizing the Taliban, the terrorists responsible for 9/11 as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan?

And I tell you what, Sean? I have barely slept for a week because of all the Afghans who have been reaching out, pleading for help, begging America not to leave them to die because they know that they're going to be slaughtered. When it's wheels up for America and we -- you know, we pack up, it's going to be an absolute bloodbath.

And all the signs are that they are systematically hunting down and mapping out who their targets are so that female journalist that you had, all of the women that have been in the security forces or doctors -- you know, terrible crime to be a doctor and help your people under the Taliban and al Qaeda's regime, right? So what they're doing is systematically mapping them out.

And it's worse than just abandoning them. The U.S. is giving false hope and letting Afghans come to the airport, SIVs have not been allowed in today. These are Afghans -- people who have been approved, they've had background checks and they have passed those security checks. Their visa applications have been approved and they've been denied access to the airport.

Sean, do you know what we did today? You know what we actually did today -- an American woman, we actually told her she couldn't bring her Afghan husband with her. We told two green card holders, two Afghan green card holders who live in Houston, Texas, that they couldn't bring their American children home because they weren't allowed to get on the plane. They don't have a blue American passport.

This is how dishonest the Biden administration is being about these numbers. It is absolute chaos at the airport. As I've been sitting here, I've been getting photographs of women who've been beaten and brutalized by the Taliban, children at these checkpoints who have come through checkpoints. They've been shot at, they've been beaten, they've been hunted by the Taliban.

And their crime is believing in the idea of freedom and believing that the country that most represents that idea for the whole world, it is the light of the whole world, would actually stand up for the people that stood up for that ideal that we're supposed to believe in, that this country is founded on.

And we're about to abandon every single one of them and we knew it. We planned this and we did it by design and we're taking no action to reverse course, and that's where the proof is.

HANNITY: Wow. Very powerful. Lara Logan, thank you.

Congressman, thank you for your honesty, too.

Don't forget, by the way, you can watch part one of the new season "Lara Logan has No Agenda: Sacrificing Afghanistan". It's available right now on foxnation.com.

First, the Biden White House in turmoil tonight. The president's poll number is plummeting. Mark Meadows, Ari Fleischer talk about that aspect and more, as we continue, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. Day 11, Americans held hostage behind Taliban enemy lines, Joe Biden doubling down on failure, doubling down on delusion, and bowing, yes, at the altar of terrorists.

But the American people, they are taking notice. Look at this -- a new "USA Today"/Suffolk poll finds Biden's approval rating is now cratering at 41 percent. Frankly, I'm surprised it's not lower, it likely will be.

Day after day, it's the same people making the same mistakes, all while Biden turns his back on our Afghan partners, our key allies, our fellow American citizens that are trapped behind enemy lines.

Biden continues to issue weak public statements, refuses reporters' questions. He might get yelled at, and refuses to admit he did a thing wrong. A national disgrace, all preventable.

He's unfit to serve. He's unfit to lead. He's unfit to be our commander-in- chief.

And I'll ask again, has Joe Biden done a single thing that you can think of to improve the life of you or anybody in America, to keep any of us safer, to make all of us more secure? Has he done one single thing that you can define as successful to strengthen this country? Because I can't think of one.

Here with reaction, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, along with FOX News contributor Ari Fleischer.

Mark, I want to ask you very specifically about the Donald Trump and his plan because this to me is important, because Donald Trump -- part of his plan was based on conditions on the ground. It was based on a clear threat that you confirmed to me last week. He would obliterate them if they didn't follow every dotted I and cross T, comma and period. It also included an orderly withdrawal -- and the Taliban, my understanding is not a single American died in, what, the last 18 months of Donald Trump's presidency in Afghanistan, and keep Bagram Air Force Base.

MARK MEADOWS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: You're exactly right, Sean. And you nailed it on the -- the nail on the head because exactly that. I talked to the president tonight, and we were talking about this debacle in Afghanistan. You can't imagine that it could be much worse.

And yet I was in the room many times not only when he had strong rhetoric but he was willing to back that up with the might of the U.S. military. And what we found is, is Joe Biden now has a new policy. It's called America left behind. It's a left behind policy.

He left behind billions of dollars worth of Humvees and U.S. equipment. He left behind Americans. He left behind our allies. And quite frankly, you know, when you start to look at what he's been involved with, no wonder his polling is going down.

But Americans are now starting to understand what President Trump and many of us that supported him knew all along, is you can't run the country from the basement.

And today, they cut off his mic when he went to talk. He had one question, they cut off his mic. I mean, can you believe it could get this bad this quickly? I didn't imagine it would get this bad, but can we stand another three years of this kind of leadership?

I think he is unfit and quite frankly, there are talks of impeachment going on on Capitol Hill now.

HANNITY: Well, if there's a reason to impeach somebody, this would be it.

Ari Fleischer, let me -- let me turn to you as we look at this. You just heard the Congressman Waltz on this program. He's getting intel and and he's saying they are not telling us the truth what they're saying.

The CIA pulled out of there weeks ago, according to my sources.

How do you leave behind all of this military equipment, you know, starting with $200 million of drone, 600,000 military grade guns and weapons, 75,000 armored vehicles, 208 Black Hawk helicopters another aircraft? How would they -- how is it possible they didn't see what was going on in May, June and July and act?

ARI FLEISCHER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: You know, the reason is just as Joe Biden advised Barack Obama that the military was trying to jam you, Joe Biden thought he knew better than the Pentagon, and he just wanted to bug out. He was just bug out Biden, and he didn't pay attention. He didn't give the proper instructions for how to get out of Afghanistan properly.

And, you know, earlier today, I heard the former Trump State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus talk about the position of the Trump administration and that the Democrats don't understand and Biden doesn't understand is to negotiate from a position of strength. Having killed Qassem Soleimani, having destroyed ISIS, having dropped the biggest bomb in America's arsenal short of a nuclear weapon on the Taliban. When Donald Trump negotiated, he certainly was negotiation negotiating from a position of strength and people feared him. That's a healthy thing --

(CROSSTALK)

FLEISCHER: Biden -- it was just bug out Biden. He just wanted to get out so bad, he left it all behind and he left Americans behind, it looks like, and he certainly is going to leave tens of thousands of our Afghan allies behind.

HANNITY: Mark?

MEADOWS: Yeah, Sean, Ari's exactly right. I mean, when you look at a position of strength, it took a strong leader in President Trump.

Let me just tell you, it was not just tough talk. But when you looked at the Taliban, when they were -- whether it was Secretary Pompeo or President Trump, all they had to look to was al Baghdadi, Soleimani, and they knew exactly that he meant what he said. What we've got is appeasement Joe and it's not working well for the American people.

HANNITY: And you -- you can confirm that Donald Trump said before we even talk about a deal, let me tell you up front, if you don't follow every period and every comma, I will obliterate you. Is that true or false?

MEADOWS: I can -- I can confirm that and I can say that it was not once but multiple times where he reiterated that stance.

HANNITY: And he said there was no weapon off the table, is that true too?

MEADOWS: That's correct.

HANNITY: Thank you very much, Mark Meadows, Ari Fleischer.

When we come back, football legend Herschel Walker officially declaring his Senate candidacy in the great state of Georgia. He will join us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Now, the crop of 2022 Republican candidates just got a lot stronger tonight, as football legend Herschel Walker announced that he's jumping into the Georgia GOP center primary to take on incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERSCHEL WALKER (R), GEORGIA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: I'm a conservative not because someone told me to be. I'm a conservative because I believe in smaller government, a strong military, personal responsibility and making sure all people have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. That's an America worth fighting for.

My name Herschel Walker and I'm running for the United States Senate. I'm a kid from a small town in Georgia who's lived the American dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And Herschel Walker joins us.

Herschel, great to see you.

We've been friends a long time and, by the way, buckle up, you just entered the blood sport of politics, and I see the attacks already begun, and I laugh because I know you personally and they are not going to be able to intimidate you, even some Republicans will join in forces and you will be staying in the race for sure.

Why did you decide to make this jump? We need leaders like you, you are a leader, a natural-born leader.

WALKER: Well, first of all, Sean, let me say this here, that I want everyone to go to teamherschel.com because you're right, the left and the right are coming after me. But if the people want a fighter to go to Washington that are ready to get down in the swamp, you're looking at him right here, because I don't care. I don't -- I don't want to sit on the sidelines anymore and see this country -- and see what's happening in this country because this is not the America I grew up in and it's not the America I want to leave for my kids, for anyone else's kids.

You know, I think we need to have a strong military. We cannot be -- give our word away, how in the world could leave your allies, you gave them your word, how can you leave American people? You know, we need leaders that I said a long time ago to go to Washington and do what's right, and you're looking at him right here.

That's why I told you right now, go to teamherschel.com and put me in Washington and I guarantee you, I'm going to fight for you.

HANNITY: You know, you say that and you know, we've talked a lot over the years and we've become friends over the years. And what I think I want everybody to know about you is you are guided by your own principles. You know, you don't -- you did not get in this race with any idea that you are going to lose.

And when I spoke to you recently, you said to me, Sean, my only -- my only goal here is to serve the people of Georgia. I -- my whole life is because of Georgia, you told me that.

WALKER: And I -- and I have. I have told you that, and you know, I've said it many, many times. So when people say Herschel is not of Georgia, I've said, no, I owe everything to Georgia. I owe everything things to Wrightsville, Georgia, everything to my parents, but mostly to the state of Georgia, because whatever I've done, the state of Georgia has gotten behind me right now.

And right now, it's very pivotal that this state have a conservative like myself to get in Washington and let the people know this country is going down the drain unless we stand up. And to be honest, Sean, I need to say this -- you know young people out there, you know I was like you, sometimes I stayed on the sideline. I didn't vote. You know, I just figured it's not going to touch me.

But right now, I'm telling you what's happening right now, you got to wake up. Wake up and say, I got to get into this game, and that's what I'm saying. I'm going to get into this game and I'm saying -- guys, this is not the America I grew up, and this is not the America I want to be a part of. We are -- we're a great country.

So, quit trying to divide us, quit trying to separate us because we're together. This is the reason we're the greatest country in the world is we have people that come together and what I want to do is bring the people together. I want to go to Washington try to you know get people together, so we can get things done for this country, get things done for the -- for the people.

You know, it is sad that parents now can't even go to the store and afford different things, gas prices are going off the roof, things are just getting ridiculous, and you can't do it. You can't live like this.

HANNITY: You support -- I've asked you -- lower taxes. Tell me where you - - where you don't support. School choice, law and order, energy independence, secure borders, constitutionalists on the bench. You support free and fair trade, peace through strength, you believe in liberty, freedom, capitalism and our Constitution? All true?

WALKER: That's all true, that's all true. You know when you start talking about education, why is there not one education, or education for everyone? Instead of having two, three education, why don't you have one, where everyone go to get a good education? And I think that's what's so important. That's what we got to have people to fight for, for responsibility.

Right now, that's what I want to do is bring back responsibility.

HANNITY: Are people get in touch with you?

WALKER: So I'm telling you, go to teamherschel.com -- go to teamherschel.com and give $5, $10, whatever you can keep -- whatever you can give, to put me in Washington and I guarantee you I'm going to fight for you.

HANNITY: Well, you have my support unless you don't want it and I would hurt you, but -- you're going to win that race, I know.

WALKER: No way, you and I have to step in --

HANNITY: All right. More HANNITY after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Unfortunately, that's all the time we have left tonight. Please set your DVR, never miss an episode. Please keep both our fellow Americans in Afghanistan, our allies that supported us, in your prayers.

In the meantime, let not your heart be troubled, Laura Ingraham, she takes it from here. She's got a great show as usual.

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