Herman Cain: Media dividing the nation with racist rhetoric; Geraldo Rivera: Erasing of history is very dangerous

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," August 16, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Welcome to 'Hannity.' This is a Fox News Alert. The radical destroy Trump media is unhinged. They are having a collective emotional breakdown. Why? The president didn't say everything they want the way they want it said about Charlottesville.

They are twisting, they are distorting, they are taking the president's words out of context. And tonight, we're going to do something they don't do. We will lay out all the facts and tell you the truth about what is really going on in a very divided America tonight. And that's tonight's 'Opening Monologue.'

What the destroy Trump media is now doing is beyond malpractice. The destroy Trump media has now worked themselves into a frenzy over the president's comments about the chaos in Charlottesville. Here's what the president said yesterday. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've condemned neo-Nazis. I've condemned many different groups. But not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were white supremacists, by any stretch.

You had a group on one side and you had a group on the other, and they came at each other with clubs and it was vicious and it was horrible. And it was a horrible thing to watch.

But there is another side. There was a group on this side. You can call them the left. You've just called them the left that came violently attacking the other group. So you can say what you want, but that's the way it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: As the president did Monday, as he did yesterday -- the president condemned now over and over again the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, other hate groups. But he also laid out some of the facts about what happened. Here are the facts nobody wants to tell you.

Here's the video from Saturday. Everybody agrees these white supremacists -- you know what? They evoke a natural rage in people. And the people who provoked everything were them, the white supremacists. They are without question the most responsible in things that happened here.
And every decent, good American should unequivocally oppose everything they stand for.

But there is violence, what the president said is true, that came from both sides. That is clear from the video that you're watching. What seemed to set the media off yesterday is that the president said there was violence on both sides. Whether we like it or not, this is an important point.

The First Amendment does protect even hate speech. It's why even the ACLU defended these white supremacists and their right to say what they want to say, whether or not we like it or not.

You are not allowed in America under the rule of law to get into fist fights, to punch people, engage in fighting because you don't like what they say.

Despite those facts, the media is living in an alternative universe. Why? Because all they want to do is destroy the president. Watch this insanity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN: Why is President Trump showing sympathy for white nationalists and other hate groups? One editorial board of a big paper this morning calling the president America's bigot in chief. He's now given safe harbor to Nazis, to white supremacists.

NICOLE WALLACE, MSNBC: He's now giving safe harbor to Nazis, to white supremacists. He's so disgraced not just the Republican Party but the country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Trump, short of only maybe Woodrow Wilson and Andrew Jackson, is being himself more than any other previous president with disgraceful racial views. That's the truth. He's not pandering to people, these are his views.

GLENN THRUSH, NYTIMES: I think now people realize that the strain of white nationalism in the White House is, in fact, something that is more closely associated with the president himself.

DON LEMON, CNN: Barack Obama was a black president. Maybe he didn't think that Barack Obama was fit to be in office. He traded on racial animus and racial bias, and he's been doing it for decades. Anyone who is in that White House and who is supporting him is complicit in their racism, as well.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN: It was disturbing. You know, I think we saw the president's true colors today, and I'm not sure they were red, white and blue.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We can surely say his words have absolutely emboldened white supremacists.

VAN JONES, CNN: You know, this is a -- it's a tough night I think for normal people. You got a lot of people at home going through Kleenex right now.

JONES: I'm just hurt. I'm sitting here hurt. And I think a lot of people are hurt tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: That's the guy that said a whitelash? You got to understand something that's going on here. This is very, very important because last week, it was the media. They wanted to convince you last week that President Trump was a madman who wanted to go to war with North Korea. In case you've forgotten, take a look at the tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, FORMER CLINTON ADVSIER: It just doesn't help when our allies in the countries in the region can't tell whether it's Donald Trump or Kim Jong-un who's the crazier one.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN: This is not the kind of language that we normally hear from a U.S. president during a moment of crisis.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not, Jake. In fact, it sounds like something you would hear from the North Korean state news agency, the KCNA.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What you need to do is lower the temperature and not increase the temperature. And in a way, I think you could say that he's playing right into Kim's hands.

MATTHEW DOWD, POLITICAL ANALYST: If you read a paragraph in the beginning of a newspaper that said this -- a bellicose, threatening, emotionally immature, insecure leader did X a year ago, would you have thought the president of the United States was that person, or would you have thought the head of North Korea with that person?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: The ideological media in this country is creating a massive information crisis for the American people. Last week, the president is unhinged, a lunatic. This week, he's a bigot. And did you notice -- by the way, anyone in America -- did you notice he scored a massive victory, his peace through strength policies actually worked? Did you notice that North Korea had actually backed down from their threat to fire missiles at Guam?

This dishonesty from the media is beyond despicable, so unfair for the American people. They are doing you a great disservice.

Charlottesville is only the latest perfect example. And let me remind the media -- President Trump has denounced again and again in the strongest terms possible, as he should, these white supremacists.

He tweeted out on Saturday, 'We all must be united and condemn all that hate stands for. There's place for this kind of violence in America. Let's come together as one.'

He also went on to say, 'We must remember this truth. No matter our color, creed, religion or political party, we are all Americans first.'

And on Saturday, the president went further and said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides -- on many sides.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: But all weekend long, the lying media -- they were trying to convince their viewers that President Trump was somehow sympathetic to these white supremacists because he didn't mention them all by name. So on Monday, the president addressed it again. He mentioned them by name, condemned them again. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Racism is evil. And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And we played what the president said yesterday, but it's never good enough for a media that has an agenda that's ideological. President Trump -- he's been condemning hate, white supremacist, David Duke for years and years. Now, this is something we're about to show you they will never show you about President Trump. I wonder why. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS: What are your views on the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacists?

TRUMP: I totally disavow the Ku Klux Klan. I totally disavow David Duke. I've been doing it now for two weeks. This is -- you're probably about the 18th person that's asked me the question.

I didn't even know he endorsed me. David Duke endorsed me? OK. All right. I disavow.

CHUCK TODD, NBC: David Duke he announced his Senate candidacy claiming your agenda for his own, or essentially saying glad that you spoke out.

TRUMP: Are you ready before you asked the question?

TODD: Newt Gingrich said every Republican should repudiate this guy, no matter what it takes.

TRUMP: I did, and I do. Rebuked. Is that OK? Rebuked!

TODD: Rebuked?

TRUMP: Done!

I disavowed him every time I speak to somebody, virtually, and you know, they just keep it going. They keep it going.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: How would you characterize in more words than one David Duke?

TRUMP: David Duke is a bad person who I disavowed on numerous occasions over the years. I disavowed him. I disavowed the KKK. I just did the Today show, and it was the same thing. And I said, how many times do I have to disavow? Do you want me to do it again for the 12th time?

BRZEZINSKI: Well, I want to know...

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: How many times do I have to reject? I reject David Duke, rejected David Duke. I've rejected the KKK, the Ku Klux Klan. From the time I'm 5-years-old I rejected them.

MATT LAUER, NBC: What do you see is the biggest problem with Reform Party right now?

TRUMP: Well, you've got David Duke just joined, a bigot, a racist, a problem. I mean, this is not exactly the people you want in your party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Reject, rebuke, condemn, disavow. When it comes to recognizing the violence that took place and both sides were involved in the fighting, it needed both sides there -- the media isn't even reporting the facts and telling you the truth.

For example, let's take a look at a headline from the Associated Press and their reporter who was actually on the ground in Charlottesville. This is the AP. 'View from the street. Police stood by as adversaries fought.'

They're reporting two sides. So the AP agrees with Donald Trump, this reporter saying the police did not do anything as the fighting went on.

The ACLU tweeted, quote, 'Not sure who provoked first. Both sides were hitting each other at Justice Park before the police arrived.' They added, 'The guy on the ground is a Unite the Right protester. Those in black and red are Antifa protesters.'

Where's the media demanding answers from the Democratic governor, Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic mayor of the city about why the police did not break up the violence. Why wasn't the National Guard brought in?

Hollywood leftists -- they're now losing their collective minds. Remember Michael Moore? Watch what he says about all this. Take a close listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL MOORE, MOVIEMAKER: If you hold down the woman while the rapist is raping her and you didn't rape her, are you a rapist? I mean, just let's really -- let's -- let's cut BS and start speaking honestly.

LEMON: That's a very powerful and uncomfortable anecdote that you share, and people will think that you're comparing Trump voters to racists. I mean, to -- to rapists.

MOORE: Yes. Its uncomfortable, isn't it.

LEMON: That is uncomfortable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: There's CNN, disgraceful, even for Michael Moore's standards.

Next up, Chelsea Handler tweeting, Well, it is time for the generals that Trump has appointed to declare him unfit for office. He is unfit and unstable. This is madness.

Chrissy Teigen tweeting Trump is like actually racist? He isn't saying the wrong thing, he is actually racist and means this. Holy bleep LOL what a bleeping -- well, you know what.

Then you have Brian Fallon, Hillary Clinton's former campaign spokesperson. He sent out this tweet comparing the Antifa leftist protesters to the American heroes who stormed the beaches at Normandy to defeat the Nazis.

All these people have now gone off the deep end tonight. We need some calm. We some facts. We need some truth. And America should speak out against all extremism. Now, this started in January. Remember the Women's March in January, Madonna talking about blowing up the White House? Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADONNA, SINGER: Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Johnny Depp talking about assassinating the president of the United States of America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: When was the last time an actor assassinated a president? I want to clarify. I'm not an actor.

(LAUGHTER)

DEPP: I lie for a living. However, it's been a while, and maybe it's time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Robert De Niro saying he wants to punch President Trump in the face. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DE NERO, ACTOR: How dare he say the things he does? Of course I want to punch him in the face.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

DE NERO: And it was only a symbolic thing anyway. Wasn't like I was going to go try and punch him in the face. But he's got to hear it. He's got to hear it, you know, that that's how he makes people feel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: These are but a few examples of the many, many, many that we could show you! And we can't forget Shakespeare in the Park, and there's also the image so disturbing, you get the viewer warning every time we show it, and that of course, Kathy Griffin posing like an ISIS fighter with a bloody severed head of President Trump. We can't forget about, let's see, threats Snoop Dogg, Marilyn Manson, Mickey Rourke have all made against the president of the United States.

These Hollywood liberals -- they need to stop feigning their moral outrage because, clearly, they don't have the high ground when it comes to hateful rhetoric.

Also tonight, we need to talk about the Democrats and their rampant history of racism. This is something the Democrats, their allies in the liberal media -- they're never going to tell you about, either. Every two years, every four years, they pull out their political ads. They tear the country apart in a pathetic -- it's their only playbook -- attempt to win votes, they divide Americans. Want the proof? We've got the proof. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you don't vote, you let another church explode. When you don't vote, you allow another cross to burn.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On June 7th, 1998, in Texas, my father was killed. He was beaten, chained and then dragged three miles to his death all because he was black. So when Governor George W. Bush refused to support hate crimes legislation, it was like my father was killed all over again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: This happens, we can predict, every two to four years, disgusting, offensive. But it compels -- it pales in comparison to what the Democrats have tolerated in their own party.

Here something the media won't tell you. Republicans have been the party of Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation. Democrats? What have they been? The party of segregation, the Southern Manifesto.

Remember back in 1956, it was Democrats who introduced what was known as that Southern Manifesto. That's a document to resist the Supreme Court decision, Brown vs. the Board of Education and the ruling in segregation in schools.

Let's see. People like Bill Clinton's mentor, who he praised many times, J. William Fulbright, well, who's been praised throughout his entire career, signed it. It was overwhelmingly signed by Democratic members of Congress in 1956. According to Politico, only two Republicans supported that.

Then we go back to the 1960s, passage of the Civil Rights Act in '64, the Voting Rights Act in '65. Same Southern Democrats that tried to stop these historic pieces of legislation from being passed, including filibustering the Civil Rights Act for months! And then there's the actual vote tallies.

Let's take a look at the no votes for the Civil Rights Act of '64. 112 Democrats in Congress voted against it. 41 Republicans. And then for the 1965 Voting Rights Act, 78 Democrats in Congress voted against it, 25 Republicans voted no.

So I don't understand. The Democrats, the media, that's their history. And some people in the Democratic Party today praised those people that were involved in that history.

Here's another fact the media is ignoring. George Wallace, one of the most racist pro-segregationists in history, Democrat for most of his political career. Then there's Democratic senator, remember the former Klansman?

Wasn't in charge that -- really that long ago, Robert Byrd. He filibustered the Civil Rights Act for over 14 hours before voting against it. And other well-known Democrats, you know, to vote no, well, let's see, that's Bill Clinton's mentor, J. William Fulbright, and even Al Gore's father, Al Gore, Senior.

Once again, you would think Democrats would denounce and force those type of people out of their party. But instead, Democrats did the complete opposite, especially when it comes to Robert Byrd, former Klansman. Hillary Clinton -- we've got the tape -- praising him as her mentor after he died! Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Senator Byrd was a man of surpassing eloquence and nobility. From my first day in the Senate, I sought out his guidance, and he was always generous with his time and his wisdom. I admired his tireless advocacy for his West Virginia constituents. As secretary of state, I continue to rely on his advice and counsel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Her mentor? Was she giving Robert Byrd a pass? He was in the Klan. Now, take a look at what Robert Byrd said to Tony Snow. This was back on Fox News Sunday in just 2001, 16 years ago. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ROBERT BYRD, D-WEST VIRGINIA: White (EXPLETIVE DELETED) I've seen a lot of white (EXPLETIVE DELETED) in my time, want to use that word. But we've all -- we all -- we just need to work together to make our country a better country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Pretty shocking, former Klansman -- would you call someone who says that your mentor like Hillary?

This just highlights the Democrats' massive double standard when it comes to race in America, the divide that they are contributing to. They have made race a political wedge issue in this country for decades, and they have used it, sadly, to rip this country apart.

Last night, we showed you how President Obama -- remember? He rushed to judgment, raced to conclusions before any evidence, any facts came out, any the testimony came out in four particular high-profile race cases, rush to judgment.

President Obama made it a point to associate himself with groups like Black Lives Matter that chant things like, What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want them? Now. Pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon.

President Obama even invited Black Lives Matter to his White House and praised a Black Lives Matter leader, DeRay Mckesson, while completely excusing his anti-police remarks. Just take a look at a couple of McKesson's tweets.

Quote, 'This feared for my life language is perhaps the new execution motto of America's largest gang, the police.' Should someone who spews that hatred really have been invited to Obama's White House? Where was the media's outrage then, let alone he was praised by the president at the time, President Obama.

Then there's the issue of leftists destroying public property and tearing down monuments like what we saw happen in Durham, North Carolina, this week. The left -- they're up in arms over President Trump asking where America should draw a line when it comes to removing these monuments.
Well, now, look, people can agree with what they think these statues represent. They have honest disagreement. They don't have a right to destroy property. They don't have a right to be violent because they disagree with what they stand for. We have a political process for that. And as the president said, let local municipalities decide.

If the left is so upset over Confederate monuments, then maybe they should feel the same way about displays that honor racist Democrats, the ones we just told you about. Take a look at this statue, Robert Byrd, the former Klansman in the West Virginia state capitol. The Democrats now think it needs to be taken down? According to a local West Virginia website, there are at least 56 buildings, bridges, highways, centers and other places that are named after Robert Byrd. Do they need to be renamed? Do they need to be taken out?

There are also highways, statues, other things that are dedicated to people like Al Gore, Senior, J. William Fulbright, George Wallace!

If the left, members of the media -- they're going to lose their collective minds over the latest attack against President Trump, I think it's important to remember this in many ways is selective moral outrage.

And more importantly, at the end of the day, a huge distraction. This last election was about the forgotten men and women of this country, people on poverty, people on food stamps and people that cannot find a job! As all these fights go on and all the undermining of the president continues, none of those people are being helped. That is a huge, huge shame for the American people.

When we come back, Herman Cain will react to my Opening Monologue, and then later tonight, Larry Elder, Geraldo Rivera.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." And joining us now with reaction to my Opening Monologue tonight, Fox News contributor Herman Cain is back with us -- 9,9 -- all right, I'm sorry.

This is a serious topic. I don't like to see my country in turmoil like this. I can't stand these white supremacist people. And I know the natural reaction people have to it because I have it. But you can't punch them. And then I don't like the way the media with their double standard against the president. I mean, he said it Saturday, he said it Monday, he said it Tuesday, and look at how they reacted.

HERMAN CAIN, FOX CONTRIBUTOR: Yes. Sean, I want to applaud you and your staff for isolating the voices of hypocrisy. That's what that was. I applaud you for that.

But let me add something. They couldn't make Russia, Russia, Russia stick. They couldn't make refugee, refugees, refugees stick. So now their desperate attempt is racism, racism, racism.

But here's what they don't understand. The American people are not stupid. Those people that are supporting Donald Trump because of the results he is getting and he is trying to get are not going to persuade Trump supporters to move over to the dark side.

They have not just crossed the line, they've gone over the cliff. And the only people that are going over the cliff with them are those people that are just as deceived and deranged as they are. That's what this is all about, is their desperate attempt to try and get people to follow them off the cliff.

HANNITY: Here's my -- that's the sad part of it because so many Americans -- I mean, 50 million poverty, 50 million food stamps, 94 now -- we were at 95 -- out of the labor force. So there's real suffering in the country. The agenda is being stopped.

But there is this history of the left. There is this -- how does Hillary Clinton get away with Robert Byrd is my mentor or Bill -- J. William Fulbright is my mentor? Nothing! You never hear of it.

CAIN: The way she gets away with it is that the liberal media is an accomplice to this TDS -- Trump derangement syndrome. Now, I'm not exaggerating, but what you showed is exactly what other symptoms of Trump derangement syndrome. They are never going to get over it. They are still stuck in Hillary should have won.

She should not have won because she was not the best candidate. They're stuck in Trump derangement syndrome, and I got to tell you, Sean, we will find a cure to cancer before they get over their obsession with TDS.

It's sad, it's unfortunate, and it doesn't help this country. But that's what they are trying do is to destroy and divide this nation with all of this racist rhetoric that they are continuing to put out there.

HANNITY: Herman Cain, every two and four years -- I showed the ads -- that card is played every two to four years. And I've got so much more that I can play. And I'm watching what they're doing to the president. He condemned these hateful groups, white supremacists, as he rightly should. But they don't listen to that part. Do you think the American people see this?

CAIN: Yes. Remember, like you, I'm on the radio five days a week. I hear from people. They are not stupid. They see past this. The only ones that are following this racist rhetoric and this racist indication of what they think defines America are the people who are already predisposed to their position.

Here's what they don't understand. Violence does not define America. Violence does not define who we are. They don't understand that. The liberal media believes that if they say it often enough, over and over and over, that more people are going to fall into their camp. But that simply is not happening.

HANNITY: We got to get to the business of helping the American people, the economy, keeping us safe.

CAIN: Yes.

HANNITY: Herman Cain, always good to see you, my friend.

CAIN: (INAUDIBLE)

HANNITY: 999 -- those are answers! 999, they work!

Coming up -- in the wake of the tragedy in Charlottesville, pressure mounting for cities, towns to remove Confederate statues. Larry Elder, Geraldo Rivera weigh in next as we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JACKIE IBANEZ, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good evening and live from America's news headquarters I'm Jackie Ibanez in New York.

Hundreds of counter-demonstrators holding a candlelight vigil in Charlottesville, Virginia, tonight. The demonstrators sang protest songs from the 60s. The vigil turned into a march around the campus of the University of Virginia. The vigil coming just days after violence at a white nationalist protest left one person dead and more than a dozen injured. Earlier today the dead woman, Heather Heyer, was remembered at a memorial service.

Meanwhile the Coast Guard and the Honolulu Fire Department conducting search operations well into the night. They are looking for five soldiers missing from an Army helicopter that crashed off the coast of Oahu late Tuesday. The missing chopper was conducting a nighttime training mission with another Blackhawk. So far only parts of a fuselage and a helmet have been found.

I'm Jackie Ibanez. Now back to HANNITY. For all of your headlines, log on to FOXnews.com.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You had people in that group that were there to protest the taking down of, to them, a very, very important statue and the renaming of a park from Robert E. Lee to another name.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: George Washington was a slave owner. Was George Washington a slave owner? So will George Washington now lose his status? Are we going to take down -- excuse me. Are we going to take down statues to George Washington? How about Thomas Jefferson? What do you think of Thomas Jefferson? You like him? OK, good. Are we going to take down the statue, because he was a major slave owner? Are we going to take down his statue?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: That was President Trump yesterday addressing that removal of historical monuments in America. And last night, under the cover of darkness, Baltimore removed four Confederate monuments. In addition to Baltimore this morning New York took down two plaques from a church property in Brooklyn, New York, that honored the general, Robert E. Lee. And several other cities are also discussing removing various Confederate symbols, including the governor of New York, all of them.

Here with reaction, radio talk show host Larry Elder, Fox News correspondent at large Geraldo Rivera. Geraldo, I'm not trying to make this controversial, but as the president even said, OK, it's up to local cities and the municipalities what they want to do. But Hillary Clinton is on tape saying that Robert Byrd is her mentor. Bill Clinton's mentor was J. William Fulbright, segregationist, as you know. All West Virginia, all they have is Robert Byrd school, Robert Byrd building, Robert Byrd street, Robert Byrd, Robert Byrd. Where does it end? And do you think that this is just going to keep going?

GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Sean, I think that there are two separate issues. On the remaking of history, the renaming, the erasing of history, I think that that is very, very dangerous and it threatens to undermine the very foundations of our nation.

For example, there has been slavery, a scar on the face of society since the ancient Egyptians, 3,100 years B.C. Then the Romans, the Greeks, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson as the president and you both referenced. I think it's very, very dangerous when you start trying to bring historical figures and monuments and mementos up to contemporary political standards. It's very dangerous, very much susceptible to political correctness.

But that is a separate issue from the failure to denounce neo-Nazis. Those are two different issues. The president made a grievous error in failing to denounce immediately the neo-Nazis. The second point, the larger point, the substance --

HANNITY: But the president -- but in fairness, Geraldo, I have tapes of him doing it throughout the years. David Duke, white supremacists, throughout the years. He said it so many times during the campaign, you remember, it became an issue. He said he wanted to wait.

Obama made a big mistake because Obama politicized four high profile racial issues and was wrong on all four. So my question is this. So when the president did denounce it again and again, and he sent out the tweets on Saturday, he said it on Monday, he said it yesterday. At what point does that satisfy the need to say I hate these people. And by the way, they are disgusting people.

RIVERA: You have to say that our friend, the president, who we want to succeed and now he is embattled even by people like McConnell and others in his own party, he needs not to take advice from whoever gave him that advice, and I don't know if it was Steve Bannon, but it was terrible advice. He should have condemned the neo-Nazis. They stink. There is no such thing as a good neo-Nazi. They really are punks, get them out of here.

HANNITY: Larry?

LARRY ELDER, SALEM RADIO NATIONAL SYNDICATED HOST: Look, Geraldo was talking about what the major story here is. The major story here is whether racism remains a major problem in America and whether or not Charlottesville represents that.

David Duke ran for governor of Louisiana in 1991, was shunned by the local Republicans. They supported his opponent, a Democrat and a crook. The RNC refused to give him any support. George Herbert Walker Bush, the president, referred to David Duke as a holocaust denier and a racist. Duke goes on to lose the race by a million votes, then a record, I think it's still a record. He runs for office four more times, Sean, loses every time, goes to jail for bank fraud and tax evasion, and who are we talking about? David Duke? If it weren't for cable TV digging him up every two years or four years he'd be working road construction in Kalamazoo under an assumed name.

The real story right now is the fact that in Charlottesville, a black man, a police chief, one of the CEOs who resigned from the president's commission is a black man, CEO of Merck, and a black man named Larry Elder has a nationally syndicated radio show talking to you about it, and Obama, and Trump's predecessor for eight years was a black man named Barack Obama.
That's the story of America in 2017, not David Duke. Come on.

HANNITY: All right, stay right there. We'll take a break. We'll come back. More Larry Elder, Geraldo Rivera, right after the break as we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF SESSIONS, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: We cannot and in no way can we accept, apologize for racism, bigotry, hatred, violence, and those kinds of things that too often arise in our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: That was the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, earlier today during a speech in Miami on the issue of sanctuary cities taking a moment to discuss the violent weekend in Charlottesville and emphasizing there is no place in this country for racism, bigotry, hatred, white supremacy, violence.

We continue with Larry Elder and Geraldo Rivera. Larry, one of the big issues, we've looked at the tape, all of us, that the media said -- the president was right. Listen, we all despise these people. They are ignorant, they're hate-filled, they're horrible human beings. We all understand that. And even the ACLU said they have the right to say horrible things. But there were people that were fighting and punching on both sides.

ELDER: That's right, that's right, there was fighting on both sides, which is what Donald Trump meant when he said I abhor the violence on both sides. He was talking about people fighting in the streets. He was not saying that the people who are white supremacist are equal to the people who don't like white supremacist for crying out loud. That was so incredibly unfair.

And Sean, 20 years ago, TIME and CNN did a poll asking black teenagers whether racism was a major problem, they said yes. But then they asked whether it was a major problem in their own lives. Ninety percent of them said no. In fact black teenagers said failure to take advantage of available opportunities was a bigger problem than racism. We ought to be talking about that. We ought to be talking about the breakdown of the black family. That is a far bigger problem than the dwindling significance of racism in America.

HANNITY: And Geraldo, when you look at the way the media covered it, Donald Trump just justified what happened here. He did not do that.

RIVERA: He did not, but I tell you, Sean, what if it was a gang of pedophiles against the gang of boy scouts and they both had shields and clubs. You wouldn't be rooting for them or saying on both sides.

HANNITY: Nobody is rooting for anybody.

RIVERA: There's no moral equivalent between the far left, and I think there is an alt-left if you want me to get into that, and the neo-Nazis.

Neo-Nazis and KKK, these hatemongers, they have no place. And any college campus, there is no doubting the fact when you go back all the way to Seattle back in the 90s when they had the G20 riots, there is a group on the far left whose job it is to disrupt, to perpetrate anarchy. And I'm not saying that that's who was involved in Charlottesville, I don't know that for a fact. But in a general sense, you saw them on inauguration day in Washington, D.C. I was there. You saw them breaking into stores, ripping the facades off the stores, breaking the windows and so forth. I think that that is a problem that needs to be recognized. But that is separate and aside from the KKK, the hatemongers --

HANNITY: Is it Black Lives Matter that says we want dead cops, is that part of the alt-left?

RIVERA: I think Black Lives Matter is much more ambiguous and much more difficult to define. There are good people within Black Lives Matter.

HANNITY: Do we want dead cops? Would you be a part of a group that says "What do you want? Dead cops. When do you want them? Now."

RIVERA: I think that's a fraction of it, and I don't want to get into defending Black Lives Matter, but I think there is definitely, you can define far left fascists who are terrible people.

ELDER: I think we should be denouncing all bigots whether they are David Duke or whether they're Al Sharpton or whether they're Maxine Waters whether they're Ashley Judd.

RIVERA: I disagree. When you combine Al Sharpton with David Duke, you muddy the waters.

(CROSSTALK)

RIVERA: Al Sharpton may be a lot of things and he may be a hustler and all the rest of it, but he does not condone the enslavement of a race of people, Larry. You of all people should recognize that there is a difference --

ELDER: Geraldo, Al Sharpton referred to Jews as diamond merchants, referred to whites as interlopers, called the mayor of New York David Dinkins the n-word, whore. I could talk about the Crown Heights --

RIVERA: You may not with intellectual honesty compare Al Sharpton with David Duke.

ELDER: I said he's a bigot. David Duke is a bigger one, but Al Sharpton is one too, right, Geraldo?

RIVERA: Al Sharpton does not advocate violence against white people or Jews --

ELDER: I said bigot. I said bigot. You can be a bigot and not advocate violence.

RIVERA: I think when you get into that argument you give an opportunity to people who have a broader, more insidious motive.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I could keep you guys on for a whole hour, but I've got to run. Sorry, we're out of time.

When we come back, Gregg Jarrett, Deneen Borelli react to the left's outrage over the president's remarks and the abusively biased press.
That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to HANNITY. Joining us now, Fox News anchor, attorney Gregg Jarrett, Fox News contributor Deneen Borelli. Good to see you both. Gregg, you were on last night, and we have a green room at Fox. If you are like looking to get things, facts confirmed and figures, et cetera. You did some investigating. What did you find?

GREGG JARRETT, FOX NEWS ANCHOR AND ATTORNEY: We went back about 30 years, and we compiled a list of all similar incidents where white supremacists, KKK, neo-Nazis held protests and clashed with counter-protesters ending in bloodshed. And what we found was no sitting president at the time specifically condemned those acts.

Maybe it happened, but we couldn't find it. We used three different search engines and there's no evidence of that. So what it tells me is that this president, President Trump, was the first individual to come out and condemn in a very strong statement on Saturday, I'm looking at it here, hatred, bigotry, and violence, no place in America regardless of color, creed, or religion should be subjected to it.

So I wonder has the media now superimposed a brand-new standard on this president. And if he doesn't hew to the exact language then they demand, then they condemn him for it. If that's the case, it seems patently unfair.

HANNITY: Deneen, your reaction to that spread

DENEEN BORELLI, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I totally agree with Gregg. Listen, Sean, with President Trump, there's nothing he can do to win in any situation. He just can't win no matter what he says, no matter what he does.

Really what's happening is that he is fighting a three front war. He is fighting the liberal media that takes his words and twist them around.
He's fighting Democrats that refuse to work with him. And he's fighting the never-Trumpers who are trying to prove that they were right in the very beginning about everything negative they said about the presidents.

HANNITY: And Deneen, add the deep state and add weak Republicans, he's fighting them too.

BORELLI: You're absolutely right. So the events that happened in Charlottesville, listen, my thoughts and prayers are with those who were killed and the individuals who were injured. But it's sad times today that we are seeing our country so divided the way that it is.

JARRETT: And you know, Sean, if I may just add, I just wrote a column about this. It didn't have to happen. The city of Charlottesville knew that violence would ensue. They went to a federal judge and they asked an order from him allowing to put it at a different location a mile away, a larger venue where they could better protect the citizens and keep the protesters apart. They presented evidence in the form of affidavits that some of the protesters would be armed and that bloodshed would occur.

This judge, his name is Glen Conrad, a federal judge, would have none of it. He called that evidence speculative, and he refused to move the location. Had he taken the evidence more seriously, the bloodshed may not have occurred. Heather Heyer might be alive today.

HANNITY: Last word, Deneen.

BORELLI: I just hope folks will pray for our country, and I hope individuals are not afraid to talk about this issue. There are people who are afraid to voice their opinions and support for the president. I hope they don't back down from the left's intimidation.

HANNITY: Thank you both, and I agree with you this country needs to be brought together. Thank you, both.

We have more HANNITY right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to HANNITY. Unfortunately that's all the time we have left this evening. As always we truly thank you for being with us.
We hope you'll set your DVR so you never miss an episode. We promise we will be the fairness and balanced to the alt-left, destroy-Trump media.
Thanks for being with us.

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