Hannity: Trump vindicated from partisan sham

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Hannity: Trump vindicated from partisan sham

President Trump acquitted of impeachment charges.

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," February 5, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: All right, Tucker. By the commentary, Howie Carr was just brilliant. That segment was amazing. Tucker, great show.

Welcome to HANNITY.

Game over. The Schumer-Schiff sham show, it is done, it is finished. The president has won again and has been vindicated yet again. The petty, irrational, rage-filled, Trump-hating Democrats, their state-run media mob allies have absolutely nothing to show for their three-year, never ending- do nothing for the American people, hate Trump temper-tantrum.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ROBERTS, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE UNITED STATES: The Senate, having tried Donald John Trump, president of the United States, upon two articles of impeachment exhibited against him by the House of Representatives, and two thirds of the senators present not having found him guilty of the charges contained therein, it is, therefore, ordered and adjudged that the said Donald John Trump be and he is hereby acquitted of the charges in said articles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Acquitted, vindicated, the president won again. And the bitter Democratic Party, the mob and the media, they -- look at what they have put this country through.

For three long years, hell -- absolutely nothing have they done for you, we, the American people. Three years of never-ending psychotic rage and hatred.

It is sad and, frankly, it is dangerous and beyond repulsive. But make no mistake, this isn't over. This must not be over.

Let me say this tonight. For the sake of this country, we need to now get to the truth of what happened here, including the truth about the hearsay, non-whistleblower whistleblower. The truth about the compromised, corrupt, congenital liar Adam Schiff and whatever relationship he, his staff had with the non-whistleblower hearsay whistleblower.

We must get to the truth of why the tools of government were weaponized yet again against this president.

Now, tonight, the only Republican senator to side with the radical Democrats was, well, Mitt Romney. He gave a speech today, even -- he even was peddling the liberal talking point that quid pro quo Joe and zero experience Hunter were exonerated. Like what?

Wow. His arguments were constitutionally incoherent and, by the way, his double standard and hypocrisy beyond words.

I know a lot of you, especially in Utah and around the country are mad at Mitt tonight. You have every right to be as far as I'm concerned.

Frankly, it is sad. Mitt Romney is now a diminished figure, clearly losing a presidential election ruins people. You don't believe me? Look at Al Gore, look at Hillary Clinton. And even to some extent I would argue John McCain.

I like Mitt Romney. I don't regret fighting hard for him in 2012. He clearly cannot accept and get over the fact that he lost. He absolutely could have won in 2012. He did not fight.

The difference between him and Donald Trump is Donald Trump fought every single day, was tough and tough enough to win.

The president pointed this out tonight in a brand new ad that is beyond powerful and sadly truthful.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLP)

AD ANNOUNCER: Slick, slippery, stealthy. Mitt Romney had us fooled.

SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): Being in Donald Trump's magnificent hotel and having his endorsement is a delight.

AD ANNOUNCER: Posing as a Republican, he tried to infiltrate Trump's administration as secretary of state.

ROMNEY: President Trump is the very man who can lead to us that better future.

AD ANNOUNCER: Now, his cover is blown, exposed by news reports as a Democrat secret asset.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: I could obviously pile on. There are a lot more important issues to cover, frankly than Pierre Defecto.

We're now less than 24 hours removed from what is the single best State of the Union Address I have seen in my adult lifetime. And now, it's 31st year in radio, my 24th year at FOX.

We're going to have a full recap coming up tonight, including the very worst moments from the very angry, rage-filled leader of this Democratic radical socialist group in the House, Nancy Pelosi.

But, first, joining us now is the author of "Guilt by Accusation". He was one of the president's -- part of the president's defense team. He has taken a lot of hits.

I think you had, Alan Dershowitz, professor, Harvard law professor, the finest moments of your career and intellectual honesty, common sense reason that an exposed hypocrisy that was breath-taking to me on the -- on people in your party and you should take a bow and be very proud in spite of the fact that I know you have taken a lot of personal attacks.

ALAN DERSHOWITZ, AUTHOR, "GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION": Well, I don't mind the personal attack. I'm used to it. But there's been attacks on my family, on my friends, just because I stood up on principle.

I made exactly the same argument I would have made had Hillary Clinton been impeached on these grounds of obstruction of Congress and abuse of power. They're not constitutionally permissible grounds.

And Mitt Romney who I liked when he was the governor of Massachusetts was just wrong constitutionally. The argument he gave against my position is that if a president were to pardon Republicans rather than Democrats, that would be an impeachable offense. No, it wouldn't be.

Let me give you some proof of that. When George H.W. Bush pardoned Caspar Weinberger and four other people on the eve of his trial in order to end the Iran Contra investigation, Mitt Romney didn't call for impeachment investigation. And there was no impeachment investigation.

You need to find a crime or criminal type behavior akin to treason or bribery, and they didn't find that they didn't even charge it in this case.

So, today was a great day for the Constitution. The Constitution was saved from people who were trying to destroy it and diminish it.

HANNITY: I have identified the Gratuity Acts, the Hobbs Act, the bribery statutes. I actually think, Professor -- let me be honest here, you're not getting the billion unless you fire the prosecutor investigating my zero experience son that's being paid million and will be paid more once he's gone. That, to me, fits exactly into those statutes that we have told this audience about.

DERSHOWITZ: Uh-huh, and I made that analogy when I spoke in front of the Senate. I said, what if the back of Joe Biden's mind who I like very much, in the back of his mind, he was saying, you know, this is in the public interest but, you know, it might help my son a little bit and the company - - according to the managers that would be an impeachable offense. Just because in the back of his mind, he had interest in his son or interest in re-election, that's the point I was trying to dispute.

Every politician is interested in their re-election. That doesn't turn innocent conduct into impeachable conduct. Of course, if a president commits a crime, he should be impeached. That's what the Constitution says.

But if he commits completely innocent conduct, but he is motivated in part by re-election, do you know what you call people like that? Politicians. That's what all politicians do.

HANNITY: Thing of value. If you take this action, it fits the statute perfectly. We won't get into the argument.

Professor, well done. Thank you for standing up for the rule of law, the Constitution and truth.

DERSHOWITZ: I appreciate it.

HANNITY: Joining us now with more, FOX News contributor and former congressman, a prosecutor that never lost a single case in his life - Trey Gowdy is with us.

Let's get your analysis of what the professor said, the constitutional aspects of this. And I do believe that the Democrats had to take on this breathtaking hypocrisy, and in terms of ignoring quid and pro and quo Joe and zero experience Hunter and firing the prosecutor or you don't get the billion.

TREY GOWDY, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, Sean. I disagree with Professor Dershowitz a little bit. I don't think it has to be a crime. There -- you can sleep all day on the job as a president. That's not a crime, but that is malfeasance in office.

What I'm particularly interested in is what Democrats think makes a prima facie or a threshold case for being able to investigate something. With Trump, it's a conversation at a doggone bar. That's enough to launch a FISA probe into someone.

With the Bidens, "Politico" and "The Hill" just pronounced that there's no evidence. Who's looked into it? If it's going to be looked into, it needs to be by law enforcement.

Look, I love my colleagues in the House and the Senate. But if it's criminal activity that we are interested in, it needs to be looked into by law enforcement.

HANNITY: I have been saying -- the president has a constitutional oath. You take a sworn oath, faithfully execute the laws of the land.

There is enough prime facie evidence about Joe and Hunter to warrant an investigation by far. I'm assuming that John Bolton is going to say something to the effect that I heard him say I'm not giving him the money unless he does A, B, or C.

The four facts though, your former colleague Jim Jordan, they never did anything, they never pledged to do anything, they didn't know and they never felt any pressure.

It wouldn't matter to me, but I assume that's where we'll end up at some point.

GOWDY: Well, which is why out of 250 Republicans in the House and the Senate, exactly one voted with the dazzling Adam Schiff.

I know that "Politico" and the "New York Times" and "The Hill" and "The Washington Post", thank God that wasn't the jury. I know they were dazzled, but the reality is Adam Schiff, all these months of investigating, unlimited access to subpoenas could call whatever witness you want to call in the House, out of 250 Republicans, he converted exactly one.

HANNITY: Amazing. Congressman Trey Gowdy, former congressman -- I guess calling you congressman that would be insult. You are part of our FOX family. We are glad you're here.

Thank you, sir.

GOWDY: Yes, sir.

HANNITY: I said it before and I'm going to say it again -- President Trump, last night, my view, now starting my radio career of 31 years ago, 24 years here at FOX, delivered the single best State of the Union Address that I have ever seen.

And it did make me proud that we live in the single greatest country God has ever given mankind. Speaking of legendary radio pioneers like Rush Limbaugh and another one called a friend of mine, Barry Farber, he once said, I was a teenager listening to it, he speaks 33 languages, never been a country in the history of the earth that has accumulated more power in the United States and abused it less.

And I add to that, there's no country that has accumulated more power than the United States and used that power to advance the entire worldwide human condition than this great country.

America is home to the most creative, the hardest working, freedom-loving, freedom and fun. We work hard, we play hard, people in the entire world.

President Trump highlighting all of this American greatness, American exceptionalism and what was a passionate, powerful, unapologetic address to this country, touting the amazing accomplishments in three short years with no help from any Democrats.

Now moving on to 8 million new jobs to be created, 7 million Americans plus off of food stamps, 10 million Americans lifted off of welfare. The lowest unemployment rate in five decades, the lowest unemployment rate ever for African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans, women in the workplace, youth unemployment, the -- 70-year record low unemployment for women, 72 percent of new jobs created last year are for women in the workplace.

The military veteran unemployment rate dropping to a record low. Unemployment rate for disabled Americans has reached an all-time low. I know we talk about millions and millions and millions -- this is a millions of families. These are American family, our family as a country succeeding, prospering.

Soleimani, number one state sponsor of terror, Iran, he led that terror, dead. Baghdadi, associates dead. The ISIS caliphate, crushed and destroyed and defeated.

And you can go on as you watch the scroll on the screen throughout the night tonight. Nobody else in the media mob, as corrupt as they are, want to ever tell you that story. Why is that? Because that goes against their rage, their hate, their psychosis, every second, minute, hour of every day against Donald Trump.

The most powerful moments from the president's speech also last night surrounding the courageous Americans in attendance. There were so many amazing people in this country. The parents of Kayla Mueller, you know, one of the last surviving Tuskegee airmen, the family of an American soldier serving abroad being brought in to that chamber, a little girl receiving a life-changing scholarship.

Some Democrats couldn't even stand for these moments. Unbelievable.

Nowhere has the tale of two Americans been more apparent than three years of the Democrats and the success that we scroll on that screen. We have, on one side, we have the Republicans, a president standing up and cheering fellow Americans and their success and their jobs and their safety and their security and their prosperity, and applauding American exceptionalism and the heroes that make it possible every day.

We have on the other side, very same time, Pelosi, which was a weird distraction the whole night. The petulant, bitter, indignant colleague sitting on their hands and frowning at things that we should all agree on.

A scholarship? A changing the life of young American? Record-breaking jobs numbers? The historic progress for every demographic women in the workplace? Record low African-American, Hispanic-American unemployment rates?

Or the strike against Iran's top terrorist? Really, we can't agree on that? The last surviving Tuskegee airman or the grandchild of that person? Amazing moments last night.

Now, what you see on the other side is petty, it is small. The Democrats are exposed and diminished. It is -- I can't describe it. You have got one America and then have you got this crazy America.

Socialist congresswoman, part of the squad, Congresswoman Tlaib, walking out, midway through the speech, saying he is bigoted. Nancy Pelosi I had to consciously stop looking at some point. It was a distraction for almost the whole time, mumbling to herself, weird faces.

If I was writing a skit for "Saturday Night Live," I'd just show that, clearly seething with rage and hatred. Beyond bizarre. Looking totally, completely unhinged, like a person who has been -- become completely and utterly broken and beaten again by Donald Trump.

At the end of the address and an over-the-top, dramatic display of resistance. Really? Ripping up the official transcript of the speech and calling it all a pack of lies, was it Tuskegee airmen? She ripped that up or was she talking about the scholarship that was given out or the family of Kayla and the story of our brave men and women killing Soleimani, Baghdadi and the caliphate? Is that what she is doing? Is that what she ripped it all up because it's all a lie and she was being courteous?

And now, in a brand new ad, Senate Republicans -- they are highlighting this ad is it. This is one of the best ads I have ever seen. Pack of lies that Pelosi ripped to shreds. Take a look.

By the way, apparently, we don't have it. Are we going to get it? Somebody tell me some point, somewhere?

Constitutional scholar, Jonathan Turley, is an independent voter. He didn't vote for Donald Trump. Remember, he was brought in as a so-called opinion witness.

He is the one that says you guys are abusing your power, calling for Pelosi to resign, writing, quote: The conduct of Speaker Pelosi at the State of the Union Address this week will go down as a day of infamy for a chamber as an institution, continuing: Pelosi seemed to be intent on mocking President Trump from behind his back with sophomoric, facial grimaces and head-shaking, culminating with her ripping up a copy of his address. If Pelosi cannot maintain the dignity and neutrality of her office at the State of the Union, she should resign as a speaker of the House of Representatives.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich calling for Pelosi to get censured, tweeting that he is disgusted and insulted by the viciously partisan actions of Nancy Pelosi.

Of course, not everyone is condemning Pelosi's sad behavior. The mob, the media, state-run Democratic TV, all things rage Trump every second of every hour of every day, they're applauding the speaker.

Over fake news CNN -- there he is. Humpty Dumpty, our good friend and, by the way, his assistant, a wannabe Humpty Dumpty, a guy named Oliver somebody who kind of stalker like guy who says, you know me, right? I'm like, no, I don't know you. Who are you?

Anyway, over at fake news CNN, Humpty Dumpty actually commending Pelosi because they are so fair and balanced and he's a journalist, taking a page out of the president's playbook. No, that's not opinion at all. That's journalism, according to fake news CNN.

And meanwhile, others in the mob focus their vitriol on radio legend Rush Limbaugh, diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. President Trump honored Rush at the State of the Union with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I thought liberals like free speech. Now, the same liberals attacking Rush today, they will put up with you can't go to a 7-Eleven unless you have a slight Indian accent or Dunkin' Donuts, and every other bizarre thing that Joe Biden has said.

And the media's reaction has been utterly predictable, totally petty, small and predictably classless and harmful to we, the people, because they lie, they tell conspiracies, they slander, they besmirch. And now, they're going to pay a lot of money to Nicholas Sandmann as fake news CNN has done. I wonder if Humpty is reporting on that.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought that the Medal of Honor --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Freedom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Freedom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Freedom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was supposed to go to people who actually did stuff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's been the godfather of right wing radio. But under rubric of infotainment, he has preached a lot of division and a lot of hate over a long period of time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was awarding the medal of freedom to Rush Limbaugh who has a history of making a derogatory comments about African-Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: These are small people, sore losers, temper tantrum for three long-plus years. Filled with rage, consumed by bitterness, it's every hour of every second of every day hating the president.

By the way, the most interesting thing in 272 days when you get to shock the world again, guess who is going to be the most upset that Donald Trump is gone? The mob and the media. They are the ones that are going to say oh, we miss him.

And by the way, this is just who they are. This is where they stand. They don't tell truth anymore. They lie. They spread conspiracy theories and hoaxes.

We got it right. We have been vindicated on this program. The president -- he has won again and been vindicated again.

By the way, a very angry Nancy Pelosi ripping up the State of the Union speech, and now, we are now at a crossroads at a country, we are on the brink as a country because what you decide as the ultimate jury in 272 days will define the future for our children and grandchildren. And I shutter to think what will happen if people that have been nothing but hateful, mean- spirited and have done nothing for we, the people, are given power.

We have Obama-Biden statistics, 13 million more on food stamps, 8 million more in poverty. Really?

And, by the way we have that ad racked up. Let's play it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Charles is one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, the first black fighter pilots, and he also happens to be Iain's great grandfather.

(CHEERS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Trump telling a little girl that she's going to get a scholarship. That was a lovely moment.

TRUMP: I am thrilled to inform you your husband is back from deployment. He is here with us tonight. And we couldn't keep him waiting any longer.

(CHEERS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the last 24 hours have been a big wake-up call for Democrats.

REPORTER: Why did you rip the speech up, Madam Speaker?

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Because it was the courteous thing to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: It was a courteous thing to do.

Luckily, by the way, you, the American people will be the ultimate jury. And by the way, as Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy pointed out, just a few short words: President Trump is winning. He tweeted this out. I was very amused.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): Acquitted for life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And here with reaction, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

All right. That was the best tweet you have ever had. Keep it up. Don't stop. But that was also the best ad. I --

MCCARTHY: It was.

HANNITY: I think it captured everything.

It was the courageous thing, the courteous thing to do. There's no truth, really? Want to tell that to the Tuskegee Airmen? To the servicemen reunited with their family? To the young woman getting a scholarship?

MCCARTHY: To the Gold Star family sitting there that lost their father, lost their husband.

And do you know what Nancy Pelosi said today? She told her conference that all she saw in the complete speech was nothing but lies, that there were no truths.

So, you know what I did today? I was down with the president at the residence. I had him give me another speech exactly like he gave Nancy Pelosi, signed it, and on the floor of the House today, I submitted it to the House clerk, so the historians will have, just like every other State of the Union speech in history, will have his speech.

Because what Nancy Pelosi did went beyond rules of the House. And I think Jonathan Turley is correct. Either she apologizes or she should resign.

HANNITY: Congressman, we still now have to get to the bottom of this. That means --

MCCARTHY: Yes.

HANNITY: -- Adam Schiff. That means his staff. That means the hearsay whistleblower. That means Joe and Hunter, quid pro quo Joe and Hunter.

Are we going to do that?

MCCARTHY: We're going to do that, but I need not only your help. I need everybody's help. They need to go to TakeTheHouse.com, because if we do not win the majority, I will promise you this, they will try to impeach this president again.

Today, he was acquitted for life. We know how many times they tried. They voted a year before there was even that phone call. They worked on picking their chairmen based upon who could work on impeachment. They will not stop.

And you know? You know this better than anybody else, Sean. There's an 18th transcript in there that talks about the I.G., that talks about this whistleblower.

HANNITY: Correct. Where is that?

MCCARTHY: That all started this. It is sitting in the Intel Committee.

And I promise you this: if we are to take the majority, we will have a vote in the Intel just like they can today, and let the public see because I believe if they saw it, they would know Adam Schiff was lying once again and he was a fact witness.

HANNITY: They can't be rewarded for this in 272 days.

MCCARTHY: They can't.

HANNITY: I have a question.

MCCARTHY: Yes.

HANNITY: Do you know who has the ripped up speech? I will pay for it. I want to buy it.

MCCARTHY: I don't know if the speaker has it. But the American public now has the original copy. That is much better, that's not --

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: No. I want the one that she ripped up. If you find it, I'll pay for it.

MCCARTHY: All right.

HANNITY: Thank you, Congressman. Great tweet out there tonight.

All right. When we come back, wow, more chaos in Iowa. One prominent Democrat sounding the alarm, realizing this is becoming a total Schiff show for the Democratic Party, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: This is a FOX News alert, Democratic Party in shambles. Moments ago, we just got brand new numbers of the Iowa from the caucus. Here it is, that happened Monday night. And by the way, we can report, 92 percent of the vote is now in, oh, it looks like they're counting votes like the congenital liar's friend Vladimir counts votes in Russia, Russia, Russia.

Joining us now from Des Moines with the very latest, FOX News national correspondent Jacqui Heinrich is with us.

Jacqui, 92 percent, we're getting there.

JACQUI HEINRICH, FOX NEWS NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are getting there, Sean. In fact, we actually made our way to New Hampshire since that primary or the caucuses rather on Monday night.

The Iowa Democratic Party said they were withholding the caucus results because they wanted to make sure they got it right after their app suffered unspecified coding problem. But when they finally put out partial results, they even got that wrong, calling this a botched job would be understatement. Today, they had to redact results they put out mid- afternoon and issue a correction after the numbers reportedly allocated state delegates that should have gone to Senator Bernie Sanders to former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

Some of Elizabeth Warren's support actually went to Tom Steyer. They did, however, post the correct information afterwards.

What we do know as of now is former Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a hair ahead of Senator Bernie Sanders with 92 percent of precincts reporting. Buttigieg is in the lead by just .9 percentage point with Warren in third and former Vice President Joe Biden in fourth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am not going to sugar-coat it. We took a gut-punch in Iowa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEINRICH: Now, it's unclear when the rest of the results are going to be posted. But the debacle has fueled calls for Iowa and also New Hampshire to lose their first in the nation status and, in fact, the "Boston Globe" has vowed not to endorse a candidate until after the New Hampshire primary is over on Tuesday -- Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Jacqui in Des Moines tonight.

Also tonight, James Carville, he is sounding the alarm because he can see the writing on the wall about his party. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: We've got to get relevant. And this is all something that is not working the way that it needs to work. And these candidates have got to develop some skill.

It matters who the candidate is. It matters what a party chooses to talk about. I mean, I'm 75 years old. Why am I here doing this because I am scared to death, that's why. And we got -- let's get relevant people here for sure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: I don't know if it's possible.

Here with reaction, Texas congressman, a member of the Freedom Caucus, Louie Gohmert; "Wall Street Journal" columnist, Kimberley Strassel; American Conservative Union chair, Matt Schlapp.

Louie, I'll start with you. Let me get this straight -- they cheated Bernie in the last election, right? They had their dirty Russian dossier that Hillary paid for.

And we know --

REP. LOUIE GOHMERT (R-TX): Yes.

HANNITY: -- all that happened with that. They can't get the Iowa caucus vote.

But, they want $94 trillion in 10 years for the New Green Deal to get rid of oil, gas and the internal combustion engine, and $52 trillion for Medicare for All, no choice for private healthcare. And we're supposed to trust them. And we only take in $4 trillion a year.

My abacus is working.

REP. LOUIE GOHMERT (R-TX): Yes. Well, it won't, not the way they're doing it.

And how ironic. It's Carville once again being the truth-teller. You remember some years back, he said basically, of course, Hillary had a private server. She didn't want Louie Gohmert rifling through her emails, and he was right then and he's right again now.

But what they -- what the powers that were trying to cheat Bernie didn't realize, they thought by keeping him off the campaign trail here in Washington, that that would be the end of his campaign. Little did they know that if he's not allowed to go talk to the voters in Iowa and other states, he zooms up in the polls. He's doing so much better since he hadn't been able to go out there and talk to people. AOC and others have been doing it.

But Carville is right. They're in trouble right now.

HANNITY: And, by the way, that button looks like a Connie Hair Production. I'm just guessing, Louie. Don't you --

GOHMERT: Actually, actually, it was Matt's, he told me this was the new congressional pin.

HANNITY: Oh, is that right?

GOHMERT: That's why I'm wearing it. Yes, yes.

HANNITY: All right. Let me go. Kimberley Strassel, your take on all of this. I mean, this is insane.

KIMBERLEY STRASSEL, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, look, when I look at Iowa, there's all the stuff that we don't know. And, yes, it's an embarrassment. But what everyone ought to be scared about is what we do know, and Democrats in particular.

And Iowa is meant to be a broad gauge of voter sentiment in each party. And you look at the top tiers of the group of that candidate, and you've got Sanders and Buttigieg and Warren. And they take the lion's share of the voted. What does that mean? It means the progressives are winning.

And so, when I see a Jim Carville or I see a Biden who is now lashing out at Bernie Sanders' plans and they're saying, oh, this is terrible -- I want to ask, where were you a year ago when the Green New Deal got going, when Medicare for All was out there, when impeachment got rolling? Because, it's your obligation to stand up and say these ideas are bad for our party. And instead, you just let these guys roll.

Some of these ideas have caught fire out there with progressives. And these are the candidates that they're getting. It's a little bit too late.

HANNITY: And, Matt Schlapp, look, I've known James Carville for many years. I confess, I like him and I respect him.

MATT SCHLAPP, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION CHAIRMAN: I do, too.

HANNITY: I have debated him many times. And he is at DEFCON 40 right now. And he's right. David Axelrod, same thing, he's not a dumb guy.

SCHLAPP: Yes, James mostly -- he's mostly worried about that wealth tax which is going to take 2 to 5 percent of his earnings he spent 75 years creating, which is a really radical idea.

HANNITY: Exactly.

SCHLAPP: You know, I think the key here for Democrats -- I just came back from Iowa, I was with the Trump surrogates. And those Democrat numbers really slipped, Sean. So, their turnout is really subdued despite these candidates and the Republicans are pumped.

In the precinct I was in, they are pumped. The fact is that in these battleground states, the Republicans and the Trump coalition is really ready to go to war. And they're going to go to war against a socialist, and I like that matchup.

HANNITY: And that's an underreported story. They showed up in droves for President Trump at the caucuses and they got --

SCHLAPP: With nothing going on.

HANNITY: And it was uncontested caucus. Amazing numbers.

All right. Thank you all.

When we come back, an exclusive interview, Senator Mitch McConnell, the House -- the Senate majority leader will join us. I'll ask him about Mitt Romney, Nancy Pelosi's temper tantrum, and much more, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Right now, this is a political loser for them. They initiated it. They thought this was a great idea. And at least for the short-term, it has been a colossal, political mistake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: That was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell earlier today pointing out that the -- yes, Schumer-Schiff sham show was a massive strategic error for the Democrats. It was a waste of time and it has not helped our country.

As Leader McConnell's office noted, the Democrats threw the kitchen sink at President Trump. It ended in nothing but a full acquittal for the president.

Joining us now -- he's also the author -- this is a great book about how important our judiciary is and all the judges that have gotten appointed, thanks to the hard work of Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader.

Sir, I watched today and I watched you closely throughout this whole process. And, you know, you win again. I'm not sick of winning -- but I saw a party for three years angry, unhinged. They've done nothing for the American people and they look diminished and small and petty and insignificant to me. That's how I see your -- the other side of the aisle.

Your thoughts?

MCCONNELL: I couldn't agree with you more. I mean, the best evidence of that and you've been talking about it, I'm sure for 24 hours, is the speaker tearing up the president's speech. How childish and petty is that? What kind of example does that set for the American people about how we ought to conduct ourselves?

I mean, have we forgotten how to be civil to each other? Particularly, when we're in Congress, sitting together, not out on the campaign trail. Not at rallies. But at least among ourselves, we ought to be able to disagree and not behave like a bunch of children.

HANNITY: You know, Senator, even things that they supported in Obama's second term like protecting our borders where 90 percent of the heroin crosses into this country, once Donald Trump proposed it, they -- hey didn't support it. You're in the middle of this.

MCCONNELL: Yes.

HANNITY: How -- tell us what you see, what you -- what you observe behind the scenes? What is -- what is driving them?

MCCONNELL: Well, the best evidence of it has been on display the last two or three weeks. The most aggressive thing you can do to any president is to try to impeach them. And they did it, on a party line vote.

And you could best describe it as Trump derangement syndrome. In other words, whatever he's for, they are just -- have Pavlovian negative response to it almost immediately.

Look, I think the thing to take away here and I said it in my press conference today and I think you led with it -- this was a thoroughly political maneuver. If it was, it was stupid. It backfired.

The president has got the best numbers he's had since he's been in office. My members who are in tough races are all looking at better numbers than they were before impeachment started. So, if this was all about the November election, it seems to me, we can conclude at least in the short- term here, this was a colossal political mistake.

HANNITY: One quick question about Governor -- Senator Romney. I felt his - - his speech was almost incoherent in this regard. He just exonerated out of nowhere Joe and Hunter Biden. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on that.

And then he goes into long, lengthy argument. What are your thoughts about that one vote of his today?

MCCONNELL: Well, I was surprised and I was disappointed. But, my job is to try to win as often as I can in the Senate. There is always the next vote. Senator Romney on the whole has been supportive of what we have been trying to accomplish in the year that he's been there.

I think this was a mistake. I disagree with it. On the other hand, we've got a lot more votes to cast between now and November. And I'm going to need his support on a whole variety of things that are important to the president and to the country.

HANNITY: As the president listed all of the economic success and foreign policy success -- Soleimani, Baghdadi, the caliphate, et cetera, all the trade deals and all the new jobs created, it's a pretty long list, Senator. That seems to me like, if you ask the question, are you better off than you were four years ago, the answer is an overwhelming yes.

MCCONNELL: Absolutely. No question, people are better off than they were four years ago. And I think that's the central theme underlying the president's fall campaign.

And he did a masterful job last night of laying all this out in front of the American people at a time when a lot of them are tuning in and paying attention.

And all the Democrats were left with was sort of pouting on the floor, you know, trying to avoid any kind of positive response to anything he said. I thought it was childish and silly and counterproductive for them.

HANNITY: You know, Senator, we appreciate it. You won this battle like you won the judge battle and Kavanaugh battle. The president obviously is winning for the country. I'm not sick of winning.

Senator McConnell, thank you for being with us.

MCCONNELL: Thank you, Sean.

HANNITY: And coming up, last night, President Trump explaining how his policies are positively impacting minority communities. Well, the person I think is one of the most inspirational people I have ever interviewed, Alice Marie Johnson, Larry Elder, next, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Last night, President Trump highlighted how his agenda is benefiting historically marginalized communities, people left behind. And even Democrats are starting to take notice.

Listen to CNN's Van Jones explain how last night was a wake-up call for his party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think the last 24 hours have been a big wake-up call for Democrats. A warning to Democrats. What he was saying to African-Americans can be effective. You may not like it.

But he mentioned HBCUs, our black colleges have been struggling for a long time. A bunch of them have gone under. He threw a lifeline to them in real life in his budget. He talked about that.

He talked about criminal justice reform. He talked about Opportunity Zones. And I think what you're going to see him do is say -- you may not like my rhetoric, but look at my results, look at my record to black people. If he narrow casts that, it's going to be effective.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Remember Van Jones is the same guy that said President Trump's election night 2016 was a white lash.

One of the biggest success stories of the president's criminal justice reform efforts, thanks to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Alice Johnson, with the president featured in a very moving Super Bowl ad, one of the best I saw, Super Bowl Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALICE MARIE JOHNSON, PRISON REFORM ADVOCATE: I'm free to hug my family. I'm free to start over. This is the greatest day of my life. My heart is just bursting with gratitude. I want to thank President Donald John Trump.

(CHEERS)

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

TRUMP: I'm Donald Trump and I approve this message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Joining us now, author of the book "After Life", prison reform advocate, Alice Marie Johnson, whose sentence was commuted by President Trump, leading, of course, through criminal justice reform many presidents promised and failed at, along with nationally syndicated radio host, Larry Elder.

Alice Marie Johnson, I mean this, you are one of the most inspirational people I have ever met. You had one conviction, nonviolent, drug offense, your life was over.

JOHNSON: Yes.

HANNITY: You had no life of getting out of jail. You made a decision that you were going to mentor young women that had a chance to get out with no chance ever for yourself. You actually tweeted, I'll read it.

Two Super Bowls ago, I was sitting in a prison cell. Today, I'm a free woman. My story was featured in a Super Bowl ad. I will spend the rest of my life fighting for the wrongly and unjustly convicted.

Tell us, how did you get there? Because I think I probably would be angry and bitter.

JOHNSON: Well, Sean, it was my faith in God. That is what took me through those 21 years seven months and six days. Without that, I know that I could not have made it. And, also I had a strong family support system in place. My family never turned their back on me.

HANNITY: Amazing.

And now you are going to work to get every Alice Marie Johnson that we can find and get them free. Is that true?

JOHNSON: That is absolutely true. Every Alice Marie Johnson, every Alice - - every John, every Paul, everyone that I can find because I know how it feels. I know how it feels not to have anyone hear you, to be voiceless.

So I have been using my voice to be their voice for them.

HANNITY: Larry Elder, it's been -- I talked about all these polls, 34.5 percent, 33 percent.

LARRY ELDER, NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: Right.

HANNITY: Thirty-four also. John Zogby yesterday I think it was 22 percent, African-Americans.

The president only had 8 percent in 2016 -- record low unemployment, criminal justice reform, same with Hispanic-Americans. The numbers are up dramatically.

ELDER: Right.

HANNITY: Will -- is the president going to convert those numbers into real votes?

ELDER: Well, certainly he is going to do better than the 7 percent or 8 percent that he got in 2016. In addition to commuting the sentence of Ms. Johnson, he also pardoned the first black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.

HANNITY: I love that.

ELDER: And more importantly, as the president mentioned in his speech last night, he supports choice and education. There are 13 public high schools in Baltimore where, Sean, zero percent of the kids can do math at grade level, and five more where only 1 percent can do math at grade level.

Now, given a choice, wouldn't you like to opt out of that school and send your kid to a school that's more competitive. Donald Trump wants to allow black and brown parents to do that. White Democrats oppose that. White Democrats who wouldn't put their kids in an inner city school on a bet.

HANNITY: Yes. You know, Alice, I watched the whole hour. I know you did it with "Fox and Friends'" Ainsley Earhardt.

JOHNSON: Yes.

HANNITY: Incredible. Tell me what the rest of your life is. What are you going to do now?

JOHNSON: Well, I'm going to continue on the path I have been on. But I'm super charging it now. I'm not only working for those who are incarcerated but I'm also working for returning citizens. We have got some jobs open now and this is a perfect opportunity to put talent back to work. That's who --

HANNITY: I know -- I've got to run but I know for me and Larry, I'm speaking for Larry, anything we could ever do for you, we want to help. Thank you for being with us.

JOHNSON: Thank you, Sean.

HANNITY: When we come back, breaking news about Hunter, zero experience, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: FOX News alert, probe into Hunter Biden's shady business dealings with Ukraine and China is far from over. Investigative reporter Sara Carter reporting tonight that Republican Senators Chuck Grassley, Ron Johnson are just getting started.

Sara, what's going on?

SARA CARTER. FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: These are really big developments, Sean.

So, today, both Senator Grassley and Senator Brown Johnson, whose committees are now investigating Hunter Biden's travel. They sent a letter to the secret service director, James Murray, basically asking for all of the records from the Secret Service of Hunter Biden's travel to both Ukraine and China with his family. They want to know whether he was on Air Force One or Air Force Two and they have evidence that Hunter Biden was actually conducting business during some of this travel.

So, this is really significant developments. They're going to want this by February 19th from the Secret Service and it kind of pans right off of an investigation they've been conducting into the Obama administration and whether or not senior level officials from the Obama administration actually knew and were concerned about Hunter Biden's dealings with Ukraine.

HANNITY: Sara Carter, great investigative report. Thank you.

All right. We'll never be the media mob. A huge day -- vindicated, acquitted.

Let not your heart be troubled, Laura Ingraham is here.

Big day, Laura, and they lost again and I'm not sick of winning.

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