Kellyanne Conway blasts media's Melania conspiracy theories
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway joins 'Hannity' to push back on speculation about the first lady's whereabouts and explains why President Trump canceled the Philadelphia Eagles' White House visit.
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," June 5, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: Welcome to 'Hannity.'
Breaking right now, we are winning the results from the primaries in eight states tonight. And get this -- California may play the key defining role in deciding which party will control the U.S. Congress and what is now developing into the single most important midterm election in our lifetime. We're going to bring you updates as we get them.
Also, Newt Gingrich will weigh in as those results come in tonight.
And just breaking, the fired Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe reportedly is asking the U.S. Senate in exchange for testimony on Comey's handling of the Clinton probe -- well, he wants immunity. Get ready for a deep state circular firing squad. We'll have all the details tonight.
And also, we are awaiting the release finally of the Inspector General Michael Horowitz's report detailing how the FBI handled, mishandled its criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton's private server. We have now waited 18 long months. It's been completed for two weeks now and it's being held up at the desk of people like Rod Rosenstein and Jeff Sessions and the Department of Justice which we all know has been obstructing.
And now, many, including me, are worried that the DOJ is in the process of heavily redacted and burying the release of this extremely important report that you the American people have a right to see. As we speak, some lawmakers now are rightly sounding the alarm, warning the inspector general is facing pressure to slow roll his findings. Sarah Carter has an exclusive story and report tonight.
And also, new polls showing that Americans are absolutely disgusted with the so-called news media in this country -- shocking. In moments, we're going to show you the latest example of how the mainstream media, the destroy Trump media is spreading so much fake news, this time over a sick and twisted obsession and attacks on the first lady of our country, Melania Trump.
And we have more good news on the miraculous Trump economy. Are you tired of winning yet? Because the Obama economic nightmare is officially over.
Sit tight, buckle up. It's tonight's very important breaking news opening monologue.
(MUSIC)
HANNITY: It's been more than two weeks, the Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz completed his report detailing how James Comey, other top FBI officials handled the criminal case against then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Of course, this came after long months of diligent work, 500 people from the inspector general's team. But now, these extremely important findings are still being delayed and stalled. Where? In the Department of Justice -- the same people that have been obstructing Congress by the very same people responsible for redacting, withholding and ignoring subpoenaed documents from members of Congress who are trying to do their constitutional duty of oversight as required by the Constitution.
Every American tonight needs to be demanding that this report is released in full right now. But don't bury at this Thursday or Friday leading into the Trump summit.
Earlier, the president tweeted this, quote, 'what is taking so long with the inspector general's report on crooked Hillary and slippery James Comey? Numerous delays, I hope the report is not being changed and made weaker. There are so many horrible things to tell. The public has a right to know transparency.'
Journalist Sara Carter is shining huge light on this story tonight on why the I.G. report is yet to be released and she is revealing that the I.G. is being pressured to delay their findings, slow-walk their findings and also -- get this -- they probably want to release it on the weekend heading into a big summit with President Trump and Kim Jong Un.
She writes that, quote, 'the Department of Justice, the FBI are deliberately attempting a slow roll and redact significant portions of the inspector general's report, and that's not all.' Some are now concerned the DOJ is planning to bury this report on a summer Friday like this Friday, leading into next week's summit.
Perhaps ahead of that meeting with Kim Jong Un in Singapore next Tuesday, you the public have a right to see this information. This has taken 18 months. They cannot bury this. They cannot alter this. They cannot redact this, and it apparently seems to be slow walk and they're trying everything they can do to take out the important findings here.
Our questions deserve to be answered. Where's the report on the now- infamous tarmac meeting between Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch? They were talking about their grandkids, really?
Where's the report on James Comey issuing what writing exoneration after exoneration on Hillary Clinton in May before he even interviewed Hillary and 17 other key witnesses? Where's the report on why the FBI looked the other way as Hillary Clinton literally destroyed evidence as she deleted 33,000 subpoenaed emails, acid washed her hard drive with BleachBit and had an aide break up her devices with a hammer?
Tonight, we did reach out to the DOJ. Shockingly, they declined to comment.
And while we await the I.G.'s report detailing how the fix was in fact in for Hillary Clinton, how Hillary Clinton did commit felonies, we do have new information surrounding former Navy sailor Kristian Saucier, remember him? He wasn't given any special insider Clinton treatment. Hillary Clinton willfully mishandled top-secret special access information on a private email, then lied about it all. She's been -- oh she didn't have any charges brought against her.
Poor Kristian Saucier, he took six pictures inside of a submarine that he was proud to work on never put him out in the public. He was put in federal prison for a year before being pardoned by President Trump. Now, Kristian Saucier rightly is suing President Obama, James Comey, claiming that he was subject to unequal protection under the law, good for him.
Unequal protection under the law, our two-tier justice system pretty much sounds about right, sadly.
Speaking of which, the former deputy director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, he was fired as we know for lying. Still has not been charged with any crime. There is a criminal referral. McCabe is now reportedly asking the U.S. Senate for immunity in exchange for his testimony in their ongoing investigation into the FBI's mishandling of the Clinton investigation.
I said it in January, it's the year of the boomerang and this is now becoming a circular firing squad among some of the top levels of the deep state. We're going to have more on this tonight in just a moment.
First, we have some not so shocking news about so-called journalism in America. Look at this new poll from the Pew Research Center. Seventy percent of the American people now have news fatigue.
Well, maybe, just maybe, good guess on my part, maybe the American people are tired of the media's obsessive, compulsive, non-stop hysteria and breathless reporting surrounding the mainstream media's news coverage, their false panic over North Korea and nuclear war, their false panic over the Trump tax cuts, their false panic over so-called collusion with no evidence, and now false panic over a so-called constitutional crisis.
Watch what our friends at the Media Research Center and us put together tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN: President Trump declares he has the power to pardon himself unleashing new fears about his response to the Russian investigation and the possibility of a constitutional crisis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're heading into a constitutional crisis.
DON LEMON, CNN: So, are we at a crisis point here? Maybe we're at the constitutional crisis, I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hear the phrase constitutional crisis repeated over and over again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On the verge of a constitutional crisis.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC: It's a view of the presidency imbued with absolute power that raises the specter of a constitutional question or crisis even.
CHRIS HAYES, MSNBC: This is exactly the kind of constitutional crisis experts have been warning about.
ALI VELSHI, MSNBC: When does it cross over into being a constitutional crisis?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: I told you, they're lazy, they're overpaid, they don't do their work and they just echo each other, and they try to outrage each other.
Maybe the American people clearly they're tired of the media's combative, blatant, abusively biased anti-Trump stance that they take every day. Like this example from today's press briefing featuring the Trump hating pretend journalist, in this case, April Ryan. Jim Acosta got a break in terms of our show.
Watch Press Secretary Sarah Sanders respond. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
APRIL RYAN: Is the president aware that this is about police-involved shootings, and not about disrespecting the flag? Is the president aware --
(CROSSTALK)
RYAN: Is the president aware that taking a knee is about police- involved shootings?
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president has made his position crystal clear. And that it's about --
RYAN: Is he aware that it's about police-involved shootings?
SANDERS: I let you rudely interrupt me and your colleague.
RYAN: I'm sorry --
SANDERS: I'm going to ask that you allow me to finish my answer. I -- I would be happy to answer it if you would stop talking long enough to let me do that.
The president has made his position crystal clear on this topic. He feels strongly that standing for our national anthem is something that we should do. This has been made a political argument of which the president is not going to back down from and he's been clear on it.
Stephen, last question. April, I've addressed your question. I'm not going to continue to engage with you. Stephen?
RYAN: I understand people are now standing. The NFL is now telling people they have to stand. Will the president deal with the issue of police-involved shootings?
SANDERS: I'm going to deal with the issue of addressing your colleague's question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: And worst of all, maybe you the American people, may be you're just tired of the media's downright nasty personal attacks, including the recent coverage of the first lady, our First Lady Melania Trump.
Of course, following a medical procedure for a kidney condition three weeks ago, well, the first lady -- well, she was only seen once in the public spotlight. By the way, leaving some in the press running absolutely wild with insane speculation, pushing some of the nastiest vicious conspiracy theories you'll ever see.
Look at this writer for "Rolling Stone" tweeting: Well, I wish that I didn't suspect that the prolonged, poorly explained public absence of Melania Trump could be about concealing abuse. I wish that it was a ludicrous prospect. I wish the president wasn't a man of a history of abusing women, including those to whom he is married.
That's outrageous, disgusting and so predictable from your media and that's not all.
Look at good old David Frum, a Never Trumper, tweeting, quote: Supposed President Trump punched the first lady in the White House. Federal property equals federal jurisdiction, then ordered the Secret Service to conceal the assault. The president has Article II authority over the Secret Service. Is that obstruction? Under Sekulow, Dowd apparently know.
And, of course, this disgusting speculation continued even on television. This is how insane your media has become. This is a mass psychosis that kicked in about 10:00 p.m., November 8th, 2016, when the person they thought would never win won by a big margin. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, ABC: A lot of people are wondering where the first lady is these days. She dropped out of sight several weeks ago. I -- they're saying we haven't seen her since the 10th and everyone has their questions about where is she?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN: The last time we caught a close of her was on May 10th, 24 days, more than three weeks. There's been a lot of questions about her surgery, her time at Walter Reed, and now her invisibility. How long does she have to be out of sight to make this a legitimate media story?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First ladies get media coverage. I don't care what your political ideology is when a first lady disappears from the public saying 24 days after being in a hospital. Of course, reporters are going to raise questions.
STEPHEN COLBERT, CBS: As of the time we're taping the show right now, the first lady has not been seen in public for 25 days. Well, I'm not surprised. It took that Shawshank guy years to tunnel out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: This is so despicable even beneath the dignity of them so-called comedians, so-called journalists. Well, there are actually four of them last week that saw Melania Trump but said nothing. I have multiple sources confirming that tonight.
And by the way, she did have an operation, maybe wishing her well would be the appropriate response.
The first lady did respond on Twitter writing: I see the media is working overtime speculating where I am, what I'm doing. Rest assured I'm here at the White House with my family, feeling great and working hard on behalf of children and the American people.
Would that shut them up? Probably not. That's how sick they are.
And another anti-Trump non-story, the mainstream media pushing literally this time surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles being disinvited to the White House following the big Super Bowl victory. Earlier today, the Press Secretary Sarah Sanders responded -- good for her. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: There were 80 members of the Eagles organization that RSVP'd and committed to attend this event as recently as Friday, as well as over a thousand fans of the Eagles organization. And the Eagles are the ones that tried to change their commitment at the 11th hour, and the president frankly thinks that the fans deserve better than that.
If this wasn't a political stunt by the Eagles franchise, then they wouldn't have planned to attend the event and then backed out at the last minute. And if it wasn't a political stunt, and they wouldn't have attempted to reschedule the visit when they knew that the president was going to be overseas and if this wasn't a political stunt, they wouldn't have waited until Monday, well after a thousand of their fans had traveled and taken time out of their schedules to offer only a tiny handful of representatives to attend the event.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Yes, great treatment of Eagles fans in this particular case. The president was right to cancel this event and by the way, look at the NFL today. Look at this rule, the new rule requiring players you know, that's to actually stand for the anthem or else they can go hide in the locker room.
Look at the owner of the New York Jets offering to pay the fines of any player on his team who protests the anthem. You know what? I've had it. This is ridiculous.
I'm supposed to tune into a football game and watch a bunch of people that make a lot of money making a statement, not the Eagles in this particular case but they made a political statement as it relates to the White House really announced they're going to hide in the locker room while the flag is waving and we're honoring men and women that fought, bled and died for their country fighting for under that flag.
Look at what Roger Goodell and other NFL owners have done to this league, it's disgusting. Let me be clear, I'm done with my Jets. In fact, I'm done with the NFL.
My football day is Saturday. I like college football. And until and unless members of the National Football League gain the respect for the flag in this country and those that have sacrificed, bled and died fighting under that flag, I'm finished.
Instead of celebrating football team today, the president rightly hosted a celebration for America, featuring -- yes, the Marine Corps band and the Army Chorus, and today, Americans do have so much to celebrate, including a booming economy. Wow, so different than just 501 days ago. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our country has never done better than it's doing right now, never. Record numbers at every outpost. You take a look at what's going on, lowest unemployment numbers we've had, lowest African-American unemployment in the history of our country, lowest Hispanic numbers in the history of our country, lowest numbers for women in 21 years.
We've created $7 trillion of value in our country since the election, with the largest economy in the world and getting a lot larger and fast it's happened very quickly, actually quicker than I even thought.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Only 501 days. By the way, what the president is announcing, good news for America, bad news for the Democratic Party and your corrupt media. Why? Because they want the president to fail. Obviously, they want to destroy Trump at any cost. Him being successful is not good towards that goal.
And the little egos can remain intact and, by the way, their friends in the Democratic Party, they're so hoping can regain power. That's why this midterm election will be the most important in our lifetime, but that's not going to stop the president's economic policies from vastly improving this country remember the forgotten men and women?
We've reported about the historically low unemployment rates and now the Atlanta Fed is making a prediction the economy is going to grow second quarter at a rate of 4.8 percent.
Let's compare this to the eight years of Obama. Remember they told us that, oh, 1 percent growth was the new normal for the United States, we should just all accept it. In other words, a crappy economy.
You might remember, 13 million more Americans on food stamps under Obama eight years, 8 million more in poverty, the lowest labor participation rate since the '70s, the worst recovery since the '40s, the lowest homeownership rate in years, and the doubling of our national debt, which President Obama then said was irresponsible and unpatriotic.
Thank God the era of failure and Obama is over, and his destructive regulations, his high taxes have come to an end, and America's economy is now after 501 days of Trump booming. Look at your screen.
Candidate Trump promised big wins for the United States, high economic growth, lower taxes, fewer regulations and jobs, jobs, jobs. By the way, are you tired of winning tonight?
Joining us now, former congressman, FOX News contributor, Jason Chaffetz, the author of the brand new book "The Briefing: Politics, the Press and the President", former White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
Let me go back to the beginning of this monologue, Congressman Chaffetz.
Two weeks now, this I.G. report -- let me fix my flag, there we go -- two weeks now this I.G. report has been in the hands of people like Rod Rosenstein and the DOJ.
And my point is, they have an opportunity to look through this, offer changes put in their own comments, ask for redactions in the name of national security the same people that have obstructed Congress and not have turned over subpoenaed documents now -- since you were in Congress, which is like a hundred years ago.
JASON CHAFFETZ, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes. You know, exactly. Look, the deep state is an overdrive. They're doing everything they can to slow this down. If by all accounts this report is hundreds of pages, one of the largest that the inspector general has ever produced, and they're going to start arguing page by page, line by line, that oh, you can't let this out because it's classified.
And I guarantee you, having sat in the seat is the oversight chairman, that is exactly what's going on right now. They're having the argument about what should be classified, what should be revealed to the public.
HANNITY: So, what -- are they going to force the inspector general and 500 workers that they have? Are they going to force the inspector general to pull back 18 months' worth of work? Are they going to force redactions and using the guise of national security only to be proven wrong later?
Are they going to do a Friday dump this Friday heading into a holiday weekend, not a holiday -- we have summer weekend, and then heading into the president's summit with Kim Jong-un to bury the story for the deep state?
Because if Michael Horowitz does that, that in itself is a scandal and would need to be investigated.
CHAFFETZ: Well, look, I want the report out. I don't want it delayed whatsoever, whether there's another world event or not. I don't think you can bury something as this big, and this dramatic, and when you have the hearings in the Senate, you have it in the House.
HANNITY: Friday a dump would be an effort at absolutely --
CHAFFETZ: It wouldn't be my first choice but I don't control it, yes. I - - you know, I just wanted out. I want it to be as a complete of the truth as it can and I believe in this inspector general and his team and I think they're fighting this fight behind the scenes right now.
HANNITY: Trust me. I'm a trust but verify guy. I have no faith until I see it.
You know a thing or two, Sean Spicer, about the summer Friday dump.
SEAN SPICER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Yes.
HANNITY: If Michael Horowitz tries to pull that heading into a summer Friday weekend, and the president summit with Kim Jong Un, to me that in itself as a scandal.
SPICER: Oh, I agree with that. I mean, this report supposedly in November, Horowitz told Congress they would expect the report to be done in late winter early spring.
Now, we're well past that deadline. People as Jason pointed out are having an opportunity who are named in the report to look at it, make redactions or suggestions. But we're well past the point which that should have been done.
I think Horowitz has a really solid reputation coming into this. People put a lot of trust into him. I would expect him to do this the right way, but I think as it continues to be delayed, there's a lot of questions that are getting asked about why and what kind of redactions and other things are being asked to be kept out or put under wraps.
So, we've got to demand that this thing get come out and when it does come out, make sure that the attention that is deserved is given to it.
HANNITY: Do you suspect as I do and as Congressman Chaffetz does, that they're trying to -- they are now trying to undo 18 months of the inspector general's work. Do you agree as I do that if this comes out Thursday or Friday this week, this is nothing but a dump and an attempt to bury it?
SPICER: Absolutely. I mean, look, they're looking into themselves, which is a big problem.
HANNITY: I mean, I understand --
SPICER: I mean, there's no way that they are going to allow all of this work come back and talk about how they look into --
HANNITY: Really?
SPICER: -- Hillary Clinton's server. They're going to try to make sure that they --
HANNITY: Why do you have faith, Jason Chaffetz? Why do you have faith in Michael Horowitz?
CHAFFETZ: Because he helped us with Fast and Furious. Trey Gowdy, myself, others have worked with him for years. And I do believe him.
It's our best shot. It's our best shot at the truth.
HANNITY: Oh, really? Hillary committed felonies. Hillary obstructed justice.
SPICER: Just to be clear --
HANNITY: They fix the investigation they wrote an exoneration before the investigation.
Sean, last word.
SPICER: Just to be clear, I think that there are other elements within the DOJ and the FBI that are trying to slow this down. Horowitz may be trying to get this done and I think Jason's maybe right.
But I think there are plenty of elements trying to slow this train down.
HANNITY: Thank you both. We'll see.
Inspector General Horowitz, we'll learn a lot about you in the coming weeks. We were supposed to get this in March. Don't dump it the Friday before Kim Jong Un and the president meet.
When we come back, Sara Carter has a full report breaking news on this very issue and the Justice Department inspector general's report. Gregg Jarrett looks at the legal side of this and Newt Gingrich all coming up tonight and we are watching and waiting election results tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: As we mentioned in tonight's opening monologue, Sarah Carter is out with a brand-new report. It's entitled: Lawmakers warned the inspector general is being pressured to slow roll and bury the Clinton FBI report, and concern mounts as DOJ, FBI, seek redactions to weaken the report.
Sara joins us now.
Also joining us -- see that book right there? Get ready. Get your copy, online Amazon, Barnes and Noble. It is called "The Russian Hoax: The Illicit Scheme to Clear Hillary Clinton, Frame Donald Trump," the crux of what should be in the I.G. report, Gregg Jarrett is with us.
Sara, let's start with your report. Here's my fear and I think they've now had it for two weeks, Rod Rosenstein and company, they don't want this out. They want as many -- they want to pressure him to pull back on his conclusions. They want redactions. They want to add their comments and they want to slow walk it and then have the I.G. bury it by releasing it Thursday or Friday this week, leading into the North Korean summit.
CARTER: Yes, Sean. You're not the only one concerned. There are a number of lawmakers as well as congressional officials who've been working on these investigations that are just as concerned as you. One of the big problems here and what the DOJ and the FBI keep trying to say to the American public is that there's classification concerns. There's national security concerns.
Now, national security concerns are only meant to protect sources and methods, that's it. That's it. They are not supposed to cover up malfeasance or wrongdoing inside the bureau or inside the DOJ.
And if they're embarrassed about something in that report -- well, they should just expose it now. It's eventually going to come out because we know there was malfeasance within those departments.
HANNITY: There were 30 FBI agents dying to be subpoenaed to corroborate all the wrongdoing.
Let me turn to Gregg Jarrett and, Sara, you know this as well. There is only one conclusion. The evidence is in, it's incontrovertible.
Hillary violated the Espionage Act. She obstructed justice with deletions and acid washing and, of course, breaking devices. They rigged the investigation into her. That's it. We know the answer.
Now, it's a matter of whether or not the inspector general has the courage to tell the American people the truth or is going to take Congress following up on this.
GREGG JARRETT, FOX NEWS LEGAL ANALYST: McCabe is in legal jeopardy, we know that. And remember when the criminal referral was made against him, we said here --
HANNITY: No, no, you said here, he's going to sing like a bird. I remember.
JARRETT: Sing like a canary with immunity and sure enough, it appears that is now under way. So, that puts James Comey in the hot seat for a wide variety of things. We know he usurped the power of the attorney general.
Congress believes that on four occasions, he gave them false and misleading statements. Those would be four separate crimes. If he cleared Hillary Clinton for political reasons and ignored powerful incriminating evidence - - that could be obstruction of justice.
And finally, when he stole government documents and leaked them to the media, that's also a crime.
HANNITY: Let me put up your book cover again. This book is coming out in next month in July. Because it's the Russian hoax. It is illicit scheme to clear Hillary and literally, what is it, frame Donald Trump.
And here's the important part of this book, everything that you have researched, whether or not Michael Horowitz gets it right. You have got it right. I had the pleasure of watching you write it. You shared the book with me. Portions of it. And you have the documents and we have FBI agents that are going to end being the heroes in this story by telling the truth about the leadership.
This was never rank and file. This was always the upper echelon. You have the proof.
JARRETT: And I interviewed former top officials at the FBO who in unison condemned James Comey for what they regard as his breaking the law and ruining the reputation and integrity of the FBI. I interviewed former federal prosecutors they all agreed as well.
HANNITY: So you basically did the job that the inspector general took 18 months and 500 people to do. And you have all the documentation behind it and interviews to support it and it's all going to be in the book.
So Michael Horowitz can run but he can't hide. He can try and dump a Friday summer dump--
JARRETT: Right.
HANNITY: -- to bury this story but it's not going to work, is it?
JARRETT: The deep concern and Sara has pointed this out in her column today, is that there are people at the FBI and DOJ who can write a first review and may try to sanitize this.
HANNITY: And this is why the inspector general shouldn't be doing the FISA investigation because he doesn't have the ability to get a grand jury together, Sara. And this is what you've been pointing. And FISA abuse never would have hand because Rob Rosenstein the guy that's trying to avoid the inspector general report coming out now is the same one that begged Paul Ryan don't release the information which became the Nunes memo.
SARA CARTER, CONTRIBUTOR, FOX NEWS: Exactly. But this is why Paul Ryan and other Republican leaders need to demand that the information is released and that it get to the House intelligence committee, that it get to the Senate judiciary committee. It's important for everybody to be on board with this. This is highly political right now.
HANNITY: When do you predict it comes out then? Is it going to come out tomorrow or they are going to try and bury it Thursday or Friday heading into the summit?
CARTER: Well, I think they've cornered Michael Horowitz in a way. Because they are responding. And Justice Greg said they are responding to the claims made against him by the inspector general.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: When does Horowitz say I stand by my report? I'm done listening to you trying to spinout out of this?
CARTER: I think he absolutely will do that. I don't think that he is going to cower or be back to--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: We'll see.
CARTER: I think he is going to release his report just like he did with McCabe and make that criminal referral.
HANNITY: And when do you suspect it comes out, after the summit?
CARTER: You know, that's exactly what I'm hearing that it will come out after the summit. But you know, there is always a chance. You know, Sean, we can't predict these things that he will docket this thing.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Well, we were supposed to get it March, April, May and now it's June.
CARTER: I know.
HANNITY: And we'll get it, the day of the summit? Is that what's going to happen?
JARRETT: Probably.
CARTER: I hope not.
JARRETT: I think that's in the works. Yes, the FBI and the Department of Justice--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Does that make Michael Horowitz as corrupt as all the people--
JARRETT: Well, but the DOJ has power over him. He is an employee of the DOJ.
HANNITY: And they are going to make him do this?
JARRETT: They have been obstructing justice at the DOJ and FBI.
CARTER: Gregg is right about that.
HANNITY: We are losing, this happens we're just losing the country?
JARRETT: Yes.
HANNITY: Yes. Great news. We bring you all of the happy news here. When we come back, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich he is going to weigh in on the election results tonight and so much more on Donald Trump's success straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSH LIMBAUGH, TALK SHOW HOST: Speculating on the health of Melania Trump. CNN is doing this. And a lot of the drive-byes are. You know what's amazing about it. They've announced she had kidney surgery, a benign mass was removed. And they've said all is well.
And Melania Trump was spotted in the White House yesterday. The gold star family's event and she looked perfectly fine. Walking in looked perfectly normal.
Now the drive by speculating, David Frum, you know, hypothetically theorizing, well, wait a minute you guys. What if Trump beat her up that's on federal property? Does he have the right, can he get away with beating up his own wife simply because he runs the executive branch?
These guys are trying to have this intellectual argument over whether or not Trump can be subpoenaed, whether he can be pardoned or pardon himself or what have you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: That was Rush Limbaugh earlier today, he's so sick out there pointing out how corrupt your media is.
Here with reaction, a brand new book just out today. I read it. It's amazing. It's available on Amazon.com, Barnesandnobles.com, Hannity.com, bookstores everywhere, "Trump's America: The Truth About Our Nation's Great Comeback," former Speaker of the House Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich is live from a book store in New Jersey called Bookends.
OK. That's a pretty good backdrop for you to release your new book. Understanding Trump was a runaway best hit. It's 501 days in. And you go through what is a massive America comeback. The media never reports it. Why?
NEWT GINGRICH, CONTRIBUTOR, FOX NEWS: Well, because I think as you pointed out earlier in the show, there is a psychosis of hostility coming from election night and getting worse. And then Trump, frankly, I think intensifies it because he tweets every morning. And they wake every morning and go my God, he is still president.
And you end up with the kind of sickening stuff you just cited from David Frum. All you have to do to understand how sick this is and the nasty things said about Melania, is put in the word Michelle Obama.
And imagine had anybody in that 8-year period said the vile things and then made the suggestions that have been made recently. And it tells you the pathology that is sweeping through the American news media and the American entertainment culture.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: This is our first lady.
GINGRICH: Honestly, Melania deserves better than that.
HANNITY: Yes. These people are disgusting. These people now have lost their minds. You said it happened at 10 o'clock, and I'm stealing your line a mass psychosis that continues.
GINGRICH: I know. I listened earlier. And I thought, I listened to you earlier and I thought I think that was my line originally.
HANNITY: No, I totally stole it but I've given you credit enough that people know that's true. Here's I think an important point though.
Look, you go through chapter by chapter by chapter really how profound and historic this presidency is and how much success we've had. But then you have part two in your book. And part two is the dangers that the president faces starting with the fake news media. Just give us a taste of that.
GINGRICH: Well, look, I think the president faces -- first of all, let me say, the success of this administration is so enormous. Just one thing that came out today. They announced today there are more job openings in the United States than there are people looking for work.
Now, that is such an enormous change from the Obama years and for that matter the George W. Bush years. That it's really almost revolutionary how much he accomplished in 500 days. And that's an example of the achievements.
The challenges though, are still there. And I think it's going to be interesting to see if the president can focus in. Because you know, the presidency is so big and so all consuming, that you can lose your focus on occasion.
He's done a great job with deregulation, he's done a great job with conservative judges. The tax cuts are working exactly as we thought they would in making America much more competitive. Now he is confronting the deep state in ways that are very profound.
HANNITY: Are we going to win?
GINGRICH: The entire Mueller investigation. Probably we're going to win.
HANNITY: Probably?
GINGRICH: Partly because Trump is a remarkable leader. But we should not under-estimate whether it's the bureaucracy, for example, and the interest groups and the space program who would like to avoid the kind of changes that Trump and Pence want or it's the bureaucracy in the Pentagon who would like to spend all the money on the old things that make them happy.
Or it is the Justice Department bureaucracy which is you pointed out in the last segment, is desperately trying to avoid the truth.
HANNITY: Yes.
GINGRICH: And I think that we have to recognize that the system is much more deeply corrupt than any of us could imagine. That as it is gradually coming out in the open, we realize the elements of the Justice Department at the larger level, elements of the FBI, were corrupted on a scale that is really a threat to the whole American system and the whole rule of law.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Where is the civil libertarians, where are the left that -- where's the media in the biggest abuse of power corruption scandal in our lifetime? You know, I look at what's going on here and we know what the conclusion should be with the inspector general's report. We're supposed to get it in March, then April, then May.
Now it's -- if they are going to release it some are Friday heading into the summit between Kim Jong Un and President Trump as a means of burying it? You know, two weeks Rod Rosenstein and company have had opportunities to try and get the inspector general to soften the blow and make changes and claim they need redactions in the name of national security. The whole system is corrupt.
GINGRICH: Well, you know, but the one I think where I don't exactly share your worry. This report will is going to be so big and going to be so devastating. It's impossible to bury it.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Why do you have faith in that because we know Hillary committed crimes, felonies, obstructed justice and the investigation was rigged. We have known that for a while.
GINGRICH: Right. And if you watch the number two man in the FBI is now under criminal referral. The number one man in the FBI is clearly going to under criminal referral. All of these things are gradually coming out. And the American system is grinding away despite itself, despite the fact that we have an unbelievably weak attorney general. We have a deputy attorney general who is the deep state and who I think is totally unreliable.
And you have basically, a witch hunt led by Robert Mueller which has brought in anti-Trump activist lawyers some of whom have terrible records of prosecutorial abuse. All of those things are out there. But I'm just and maybe because I'm a naive optimist, I really do believe the American system works over time. I think if Hillary won--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: I hope -- I hope you're right.
GINGRICH: -- the level of corruption would have been unbelievable.
HANNITY: Otherwise we're Venezuela.
(CROSSTALK)
GINGRICH: Well, I hope so.
HANNITY: There's not really -- there's not any middle ground here in this.
GINGRICH: Right.
HANNITY: I wanted to say that your book "Trump's America" it is the definitive book that explains the president's incredible success in 500 days and real challenges that the president faces from the deep state and the media and elsewhere.
Mr. Speaker, congrats on the book.
GINGRICH: Good to be with you.
HANNITY: Amazon.com, Hannity.com, Barnesandnoble.com and book stores everywhere. It's a great book. You'll love it.
When we come back, Kellyanne Conway will explain what actually happened between President Trump, the Eagles and we'll talk about Melania Trump and the abuse that she is taking from our corrupt media. Straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Joining us now a lot of news today is counsel to the president, our friend Kellyanne Conway is with us.
I want to get to the Eagles but I cannot take what has been done and said again, and the attacks that the first lady is withstanding. You have gone through it, Ivanka has gone through it. Where is all of this liberal respect for women? Because it seems not-existent. And the first lady keeps putting out statements, I'm here, I'm recovering. I just had surgery and yes, I was seen in public yesterday.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISOR: I saw some folks today talking about the fact that we need to revisit the equal rights amendment and get that ratified from its failed attempts 40 years ago. Sean, to prove that women have equal rights and we are respected.
How about just starting to respect each other regardless of ideology and politics and position? And I just want to say a couple of things and take it away from me and others and right back to the first lady. I work closely with her I respect her enormously.
This country is blessed because she is our first lady at this time. I speak one language, it's about five less than she speaks. She has accompanied her husband all over the world helping to represent this nation. And I would tell those critics to look no further than first lady Melania Trump's Be Best platform to understand how she thinks the solutions should go in this nation.
She talks about kindness and respect and the social and emotional, and physical wellbeing and how--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: It's horrible.
CONWAY: -- of children make better choice. She is out there trying to help children who feel that they need -- that they need assistance. That they feel like they are being bullied at school perhaps or they're addicted to drugs.
I travel with the first lady and watched her hold those babies who were born addicted their first breaths in this world were struggle because they were one 1 of 100--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: You know what?
CONWAY: -- babies born every day and she is committed to breaking the back--
HANNITY: Kellyanne?
CONWAY: -- of the neonatal abstinence syndrome.
HANNITY: What the way they have treated her is so over the top. Awful. Words can't even describe it.
CONWAY: But I don't like even dignifying it by discussing it to be--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Maybe you're right.
CONWAY: She is so much stronger than that.
HANNITY: She is.
CONWAY: She is so much -- she is so much more than her critics and the naysayers.
HANNITY: I've met--
CONWAY: Well, who cares? She is there with gold star families.
HANNITY: She is a great person.
CONWAY: Sean, look at the difference. Look at the company that the first lady keeps. She is there honoring gold star families and people are pedaling conspiracy theories that frankly don't shouldn't be dignified on the major platforms.
HANNITY: Let me ask you this though. So in the NFL you can't -- you can't spike the football, you can taunt other players, you can't do certain dances and gestures. They have all sorts of, quote, "restrictions on freedom of speech."
But yet, Roger Goodell in his infinite wisdom, you know, they allowed everything that happened last year. People fought, bleed and died fighting under that flag. I'm not against protesting but the NFL does stifle, quote, "freedom of speech in some ways."
Here's my point. I'm kind of done with the NFL. Now they will are going to let players hide in the locker room which I think is almost worse than what they were doing before when our national anthem is played. I'm done. I'm ready to go to college football. Saturday is my football day. Tell us what happened with the Eagles.
CONWAY: Well, there is a lot to unpack there. But let me just say the president could not be more clear on his position on the national anthem. He's made a simple request that people should stand for the flag. And before people yell and say everybody did stand for the flag nobody took a knee last year.
That's not what this particular incident was about. This was a decision the president made base on how this particular event was handled. Not based on what happened last season.
And may I remind everyone. It is the NFL, not the White House and not the president who came out with a brand new policy that governs what its players will do. That's between the NFL and its ball clubs and its players. And they came out with the policy last month that perhaps some of the players on different teams don't like.
Sean, I think the president was focused on the right number. And that was the 1,000 Eagles fans that are RSVP'd to the White House.
HANNITY: Yes.
CONWAY: Many of whom we were told were already in town expecting to come to the White House. So he decided to respect their effort in coming and their excitement and still welcome them to the White House but to convert it into a celebrate America event. It was a fabulous event tonight with the -- today with the Marine Corps band, the army corps patriotic songs.
But look, there are lots of Eagles players who voted for Donald Trump who support many of his policies. They just don't come forward and say that--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Kellyanne, we got to roll. We love having you on. Thank you for clarifying all of that.
CONWAY: Thank you.
HANNITY: When we come back, Bill Clinton trying to do damage control after his disastrous interview with NBC. That's our video of the say. Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: And we have some -- of the timing was off, but great job. Yesterday we showed you former President Bill Clinton's absolute meltdown on NBC when he was asked about apologizing to Monica Lewinsky.
Remember, I said he's the grandfather, if you will, of the Me Too movement. Anyway, Bill Clinton is going to be on The Late Show with leftist Stephen Colbert. They put a clip, a promo clip addressing his awkward interview. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When I saw the interview, I thought that because, they had to distill it, and it looked like I was saying I didn't apologize and I had no intention too, and I was mad at me.
STEPHEN COLBERT, COMEDIAN: Well, you said in the interview you did apologized.
(CROSSTALK)
CLINTON: Yes, I did.
COLBERT: You said you have apologized.
CLINTON: That was a very painful thing that happened 20 years ago. And I apologized to my family, to Monica Lewinsky and her family, to the American people. I meant it then and I meant it now. I've had to live with the consequences every day since. And I still believe this Me Too movement is long overdue necessary and should be supported.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: The media gave him a pass forever. We are always fair and balanced. We are not the destroy-Trump media. Let not your heart be troubled. Laura Ingraham is next.
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