This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," February 6, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And welcome to "Hannity." A fierce legal battle is brewing over President Donald Trump's extreme vetting executive order as liberals and the left continue to be willing to gamble with the lives of you, the American people. And that is tonight's "Opening Monologue."
So the legal back and forth is complete and total nonsense because we shouldn't even be at this point in the first place, and here's why. Now, this is a classic example of activist judges ruling based on their own personal opinions and not on what the law actually says -- judicial activism.
Because if you look at the U.S. code that pertains to President Trump's executive action -- let me put it up on the screen -- it reads, quote, " Whenever the president finds that the entry of any aliens or any class of aliens into the U.S. would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants, non-immigrants or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions that he may deem to be appropriate."
Now, Daniel Horowitz, our friend over at Conservative Review, he wrote an article entitled "Rogue judges undermining our sovereignty, and (ph) here's how Congress can stop them." Now, in it, Horowitz argues that the judiciary branch of our government, especially on the lower levels, has been utterly polluted by progressive judges who decide rulings that are based on personal or political opinions, not on the law, not on standing, not on the Constitution.
So in other words, a lawsuit can be brought before a liberal judge -- they can go judge shopping -- or in a liberal-leaning court, and it can have a national impact, like what we are seeing playing out. Now, according to Horowitz, Congress should work to take back their power from these activist courts in order to protect you, the American people, our sovereignty and the rule of law.
Now, for example, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where this legal battle is now playing out, is known by all to be the most liberal federal appeals court in the country. And if you look at the Seattle-based federal judge, James Robart, who put a temporary halt to the president's extreme vetting executive order on Friday, well, he has a history of questionable rulings. And according to The Seattle Times, during a hearing last year on police reform, well, Judge Robart, he declared, quote, "Black lives matter." Now of course, all lives matter.
And then there is the out-of-control liberal hypocrisy that is on full display here. For example, Senator Chuck Schumer, he's calling foul over the president's executive order, but what the senator is not telling you, is that back in 2015, he actually said a pause on admitting refugees into the country could be necessary.
Then there's the two most recent Democratic presidents. They argued in favor of tougher immigration laws. Let's take a look at Bill Clinton. This was back in 1995 during a State of the Union address. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, JAN. 24, 1995)
THEN-PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: All Americans, not only in the state's most heavily affected but in every place in this country, are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country. The jobs they hold might otherwise be held by citizens or legal immigrants. The public service they use impose burdens on our taxpayers. That's why our administration has moved aggressively to secure our borders more by hiring a record number of new border guards, by deporting twice as many criminal aliens as ever before, by cracking down on illegal hiring, by barring welfare benefits to illegal aliens.
We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. It is wrong and ultimately self-defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit the kind of abuse of our immigration laws we have seen in recent years, and we must do more to stop it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: ?Nation of immigrants, nation of laws, it's self-defeating." Doesn't that sound a lot like President Trump now? It does, right? Now, of course, back when President Clinton said it, there was collective outrage from the left? Never happened.
And if that's not enough for liberals, there's also President Obama. This is him back in 2014 saying this. Let's look at more hypocrisy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, NOV. 20, 2014)
THEN-PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Today, our immigration system is broken and everybody knows it. Even as we are a nation of immigrants, we're also a nation of laws. Undocumented workers broke our immigration laws, and I believe that they must be held accountable.
If you're a criminal, you'll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up.
The actions I'm taking are not only lawful, they're the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican president and every single Democratic president for the past half century. And to those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer. Pass a bill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Wow. There you have it. Now, the only reason liberals are resisting President Trump's action on extreme vetting is they're trying to score cheap political points. Now, it doesn't matter that President Obama and Congress came up -- they're the ones that came up with the list of seven countries that President Trump referred to in his executive order.
Now liberals, they don't seem to mind one bit -- that according to The New York Post, visa holders from these seven countries that have ties to terror and extremism are now rushing into the country while they can, thanks to the courts.
Now, President Trump's policy is very straightforward. Instead of twisting and misrepresenting Donald Trump's intentions, well, the left should listen very closely to what the president said earlier today. Listen closely, especially if you're a liberal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We need strong programs so that people that love us and want to love our country and will end up loving our country are allowed in, not people that want to destroy us and destroy our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: My message to the left tonight is very clear. You want to keep playing games, you go right ahead. But know this: If one American loses their life, is killed as a result of letting in dangerous, unvetted people into this country, you are to blame and you will have blood on your hands and you can explain that to the American people why you put politics ahead of their safety.
Earlier today, I spoke to the special counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway, and here's what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANNITY: Kellyanne, good to see you.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: Hi.
HANNITY: You know, you look at the history of all this, seems to be to be all politics, great hypocrisy on display. What if somebody that is not vetted is killed (sic) in the meantime? What does that mean? Are they willing to gamble with American lives?
CONWAY: Well, this is the president's entire point, Sean. He has a right, he has a responsibility, the authority, and indeed, the duty to protect Americans, and that's what he's trying to do here.
The statute that you read, the past comments from liberals like President Obama and President Bill Clinton are very closely aligned with what President Trump is trying to do now as our commander-in-chief and president.
We find that the particular order coming out of the Seattle judge is overly broad. It's a nationwide injunction. He referenced religion, when, in fact, that has nothing to do with the executive order. It's not in there. And the fact is that we don't even know if these states that sued have standing. Individuals have standing and individuals usually need to show harm and damages.
HANNITY: You know, the other thing is the total dishonesty here. I'm going to put up on the country -- on the screen, 43 countries, OK, majority Muslim countries representing 90 percent of the world's Muslims are not included in the ban, including Indonesia, 258 million Muslims, Egypt 95 million, Bangladesh 156 million, Pakistan 201 million.
But the news media keeps saying it's something it's not. That's got to be frustrating when they say it's a litmus test, as Chuck Todd has said, a religious test or a Muslim ban. What is your reaction to the false reporting?
CONWAY: Well, the reaction is that President Obama himself said that these same seven countries needed special screening. They weren't just picked out of a hat. They are -- they were actually designated by President Obama and the Congress as needed special screening. They have a tradition and history of training, harboring and exporting terrorists. And we've seen that.
And I know there's article that's not getting much play today that I really want to call to everybody's attention. It's in the Associated Press by Eric Tucker. And he basically fact checked Judge -- the judge in Seattle, Judge Robart, and said the judge was incorrect when he said that no one has been arrested for extremism under this kind of...
HANNITY: I pointed that out on my radio show. That's -- you're exactly right.
CONWAY: Well, I appreciate that. And this is such an important thing for everybody to know because the judge from the bench had asked the attorney how many people have actually been arrested under this type of order, and she said, I don't know. And he said, I'll tell you, zero. And that's just not true. And I'm sure that everybody can look at Eric Tucker, Associated Press. I don't hear the media covering this. This should be the biggest story of the day in that -- especially since...
HANNITY: He was wrong!
CONWAY: ... they're -- you know, he was wrong, but he did it from the bench. You know, all of us are wrong once in a while, Sean, and we apologize and immediately rectify it, but this is the judge who then said that the -- issued a nationwide injunction from the bench in Seattle in the 9th circuit...
HANNITY: Yes.
CONWAY: ... and was just wrong from the bench in what he said about what this type of extreme vetting would provide or could have prevented had it been in place earlier.
HANNITY: You know, Kellyanne, there are many countries that if you have an Israeli passport, they don't -- Muslim countries that do not let you in their country just because you have an Israeli passport. I want to put up on the screen and show you something. This...
CONWAY: That sounds like a religious test.
HANNITY: Yes, that does sound like a religious test.
CONWAY: And this is not.
HANNITY: Democracy matters strategic plan for action. This was discovered by The Washington Free Beacon. It involves David Brock. And inside this memo, it has plans for defeating Trump, A, through impeachment, through government misinformation, the midterm elections, and more importantly, filing lawsuits against the Trump administration.
So that's pretty much telling me that they're going to judge shop for the next four years to defeat the administration on every agenda item. How do you combat that?
CONWAY: You combat it by doing what the president's already doing, which is and showing progress and solutions and forward-moving action on behalf of people, and then they'll get it. They'll see who is against them. They'll see who's actually making a positive difference in their lives. In just the first two weeks on the job, this man has boosted wages, created jobs, opened up the pipelines, Dakota pipeline, Keystone pipeline, taken us out of TPP, made sure that factories that can stay here and not go to Mexico or workers going to -- or labor going to China, production going to China, that that stops.
He, of course, has met with manufacturing CEOs. He has reversed corrosive regulations that are hurting small business owners. You know, presidents are judged by their accomplishments over time and the real impact they've had on people. And Sean, I can't tell you, for all the negativity out there towards the president and towards all of us here at the White House how many more people across this country write us, text us, e-mail us, call us, stop us wherever we are and just say, Thank you. Thank you for trying to make a difference. Thank you for taking the fire and making a difference.
Now, if the professional left wants to continue with this permanent campaign and never actually accept the results that this is everyone's president and he is trying to do good for everyone, then they'll have to -- then people can judge for themselves.
I mean, I think the left is not off to a really good start. They sound like a bunch of crybabies.
HANNITY: They are crybabies.
CONWAY: And speaking of hypocrisy -- speaking of hypocrisy, what about all these Democratic senators who voted to confirm Neil Gorsuch to a federal appeals court...
HANNITY: Unanimously.
CONWAY: ... already 10 years ago? What's changed now except for politics? So the hypocrisy there -- the American people can see that. They can see what these protesters are really saying, what they're really about, and they can judge for themselves. They can protest. Here at the White House, we're going to make progress.
HANNITY: All right, Kellyanne, great to see you, as always. Thank you for taking time.
CONWAY: Thank you, Sean.
HANNITY: I know you're busy every day.
Now, coming up, a "Hannity" special investigation. We sent our cameras down to ride along with the Border Patrol this weekend. Look at what they found, among many things, 400 pounds of drugs. That's coming up next. We'll also get reaction from Geraldo.
And also tonight...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The men and women of the United States military -- they are the greatest fighters and the greatest force of justice on the face of the earth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Is a showdown with Iran imminent? President Trump visits U.S. Central Command earlier today. Colonel Oliver North is here with that and more tonight as "Hannity" continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Mexico with the United States has out-negotiated us and beat us to a pulp throughout past leaders. They've made us look foolish. We have a trade deficit of $60 billion with Mexico. On top of that, the border is soft and weak. Drugs are pouring in. And I'm not going to let that happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, that was President Trump vowing to stop the cartel- fueled drugs and violence from pouring into our country from Mexico. So the question is, just how bad is the situation down at the southern border? Now, last week, we sent one of our producer to Arizona to check it out for you, and what they found once again is shocking. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How far south are you?
AGENT VINCENTE PACO, U.S. BORDER PATROL: We have (INAUDIBLE) type of fencing here that allows us to see through the fence and address any threats that might be approaching the fence. This is where the pedestrian fencing ends. We're about five miles west of the city of (INAUDIBLE) .
The terrain in this location is, as you can see, is very rugged.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This here is referred to as a vehicle barrier. This used to be a known drive-through location where we have vehicles driving through. And right here is evidence that there's a lot of traffic through here.
This is a known drug smuggling route. There is evidence that drug mules come through this area because you can see that there's these bundle straps. These bundle straps here are used to tie the bundles together, and then they're -- you know, they put them up like that and make them into, like, small backpacks.
For somebody to walk all the way this way, they probably already walked a day in Mexico before they cross into the United States because there's really no towns out here.
Right now, we're about a mile southeast of Aho (ph), Arizona. So we had air support, picked up a group of suspected drug mules in the area. One agent interdicted a group, and he has contraband with him. While agents were responding, one of the agents came across what seems to be abandoned marijuana.
Doesn't look like it's part of a group we're working, but sometimes we get close to the area and drug mules abandon their load and then they run back to Mexico to avoid apprehension.
Each of these barrels weighs around 50 pounds. There are about 20 kilos a pack.
What we're going to do right now is we're going to try to get close to assist the other agent that they need right now. You know, we don't know if they're outstanding individuals. The good thing is that we got air support nearby (INAUDIBLE) going to try find a safe zone to land in and help them out with that.
By the time the agents showed up because they were up in the mountains, the smugglers have dropped their contraband. Good thing that we had air assets nearby where they were able to go respond and assist in the search of the bundles. So what we're going to do right now is we're going to break them down individually. Then we're going to tag them. We're going to weigh each one of Them.
Agents are weighing, breaking down the bundles individually. They're tagging them. What's going to happen from here is they're going to get eventually turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency who ultimately takes custody of the contraband. Once we interdict it, the group -- the agents exhausted all resources available to look for the individuals. But you know, more than likely that they made their way back into Mexico once we -- once they knew we were moving into their location. As you can tell, they have the high ground when we were driving in, so they saw us moving into their location.
We interdicted a total of 18 bundles of contraband with a total weight of over 400 pounds of marijuana, these 400 pounds that are not going to make it into the streets today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HANNITY: 400 pounds caught in that raid alone. Joining us now with reaction to what you just saw, FOX News senior correspondent Geraldo Rivera.
All right, I have been down 12 times -- horseback, all-terrain vehicle, boats, helicopters. Me on horseback was funny by the way. I have been to drug warehouses. I was there when gangs were arrested, gang members were arrested -- have it all on video. And the drug warehouse, floor to ceiling, the biggest warehouse you've ever seen.
Isn't this issue also not about the drugs and the cartels and the gang?. What if they were terrorists? What if they were bringing in nuclear material?
GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's an excellent question. I just want to compliment the producer. I don't know which one...
HANNITY: Dan Cohen.
RIVERA: Dan Cohen. Well, congratulations to him because it's one thing to talk about drugs being smuggled, it's another thing to see the vivid graphic evidence of it right before your very eyes.
In terms of the wall -- and I think that's where the conversation has to go. I think the wall will stop casual drug dealers. It'll stop the pot smuggler. The question is whether it will stop the El Chapos. Remember, there are 75 tunnels that have been identified over the 2,000-mile border, 75...
HANNITY: I was in one. I was in one
RIVERA: And of course, I was in El Chapo's...
HANNITY: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: I remember that, yes.
RIVERA: I think the pros will fly over it. They'll tunnel under it. They'll drive around it. I think it will stop the small-timers. And of course, now, as the United States legalizes pot and produce so much of our own now, I think that demand will drop...
HANNITY: Are you...
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Aren't you worried more about the heroin, the kids that try vicodin, percocet, oxycontin, and then move to heroin?
RIVERA: Go back to what you said earlier about national security and terrorists sneaking across. As far as I know, there has not yet been a verified penetration of our southern border by any terrorist, not yet. Thank God.
HANNITY: I don't believe that.
RIVERA: All I know is what the record...
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Here's what we do now.
RIVERA: Not yet.
RIVERA: We have a thousand ongoing investigations of radical Islamists in all 50 states. That's just a fact. Where they came from, we don't know.
RIVERA: But did you notice there was a fence in most of the area that you were talking about. So would a fence twice as high work twice as well?
HANNITY: Double fencing...
HANNITY: I'm not so sure.
HANNITY: ... across most of the border, and then there are other techniques. Here's the thing...
RIVERA: You know, I withdrew my objection. I think that if...
HANNITY: I know you did.
RIVERA: If you're willing to spend, if the taxpayers of the United States...
HANNITY: No, Mexico's going to pay for it.
HANNITY: ... are willing to spend up to $25 billion...
HANNITY: Yes!
RIVERA: I think that we have to see now -- and the most interesting thing is within the Republican Party, people like Senator John Cornyn and others -- of Texas and others, are saying, or beginning to say, Wait. As infrastructure priorities go, this is not the top of our list. We have to really make sure that there's a spending offset, where the budget doesn't go to hell (INAUDIBLE)
HANNITY: That goes for all spending. And I know that's a priority, but national security's got to be the number one priority.
Up next tonight here on "Hannity"...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The men and women of the United States military, they are the greatest fighters and the greatest force of justice on the face of the Earth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: President Trump visited U.S. Central Command earlier today. We'll get reaction from "War Stories" host Oliver North. Is there a ratcheting up of tensions with Iran? President Trump allow calling out fake news again. Larry Elder, Mercedes Schlapp weigh in on that.
Also, Super Bowl LI did not disappoint. We'll get reaction to the big game from my buddy, Steven A. Smith of ESPN, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: For proof that our nation has been blessed by God, look no further than the men and women of the United States military. They are the greatest fighters and the greatest force of justice on the face of the earth and that the world has ever known. The challenges facing our nation nevertheless are very large, very, very large. We're up against an enemy that celebrates death and totally worships destruction. You've seen that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Very true. That was President Trump earlier today. He was talking to CENTCOM and he was at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, his first trip as commander-in-chief to the headquarters for the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command.
During his speech, along with praising our fighting forces, President Trump promised that radical Islamic terrorism will be defeated. Here now with reaction, the host of "War Stories" Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North.
All right, Colonel, let me just lay out a history here because there is a new sheriff in town. I don't think the media is seeing what's going on. General Flynn puts Iran on notice. President Trump tweets out, it's -- I'm not Obama. He was way too kind. Then sanctions are put in place. Then the USS Cole is positioned off the coast of Yemen which would have pretty quick access to the Straits of Hormuz.
Very different from Obama, 100 -- $1.7 billion, paying ransom, allowing them to spin centrifuges, 25 days notice for inspections, no U.S. inspectors, not any place, any time.
If I'm the Iranians right now, I think I'm thinking they -- he is preparing to go after my nuclear sites. Am I reading this right or am I wrong?
OLIVER NORTH, "WAR STORIES" HOST: Well, he's certainly taken nothing off the table, Sean. And the fact is, add to that little list of things that are happening out in the part of the world, the George Herbert Walker Bush, CVN-67 -- its carrier strike group is now in the Mediterranean headed east, and that ought to give them something really to think about.
The sanctions that he started last Friday target 25 IRGC members. That's the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, their businesses, the individuals, the bank accounts. And it's aimed at the suppliers who are aiding and abetting Iran's ballistic missile program.
And you don't need a ballistic missile program unless you've got a nuclear weapons program. So these are individuals and entities who are procuring the technology and the materials to support the missile program, and it includes those -- and I quote -- "acting on behalf of or providing support to the IRGC Quds Force, which is, of course, their special operations units that are rampant in Iraq, some in Syria, certainly some down in Yemen helping the Houthis. So these (ph) unilateral course of sanctions like those are generally ineffective because fewer if any of those 25 entities are doing any business in the U.S. But...
HANNITY: I assume...
NORTH: ... here's the good news.
HANNITY: Yes.
NORTH: Let me just -- good news. You can fix that with a very simple amendment. In seven days, all business and banks doing any business whatsoever with the aforementioned Iranian entities and/or similar entities in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the DPRK, will be barred from doing any business in the United States. That will stop that program.
HANNITY: The Iranian precipitated this by firing the ballistic missile tests that they had. Then they've been sabre rattling on top of that. We know Donald Trump doesn't want a protracted war, doesn't believe in a ground war. So we now have ourselves with a very complicated situation, a-squared, b-squared equals c-squares. Iranian Mullahs, the number one state sponsor of terror, if they get nuclear weapons, they said they will use them. Do you see a potential alliance with the United States, Great Britain, Saudi Arabia, the Egyptians, Jordanians, and Israelis to take out nuclear sites that are very cleverly are spread all throughout Iran, many of them underground needing bunker busting bombs to get there. Do you think that that operation needs to be done? Whether or not they are planning or not, that's a different story. Should we take that action?
NORTH: I don't think we are going to have to.
HANNITY: Why?
NORTH: Quite frankly, if you look at what happened right after that deal was done in Vienna when Kerry announced it, King Salman in Saudi Arabia invited as guests for a conference El-Sisi from Egyptian, Abdullah from Jordan, Erdogan from Turkey, and Sharif from Pakistan. He also invited the two emirs from Abu Dhabi and Dubai. They all came except for Abdullah because he was targeted for assassination that day. He sent his chief of staff.
What was that meeting about? I'll tell you what it was about. Salman wants those weapons that he bought for the Pakistanis available to him. I think the mostly likely outcome of this is, one, an incredible proliferation of nuclear weapons around the rest of the world. That started with what Obama was doing. And number two, the kinds of things that might well lead to the cooperation that's now extant between the Israelis and the Saudis and the Sunni adversaries of the Shiite radicals in Tehran.
HANNITY: It's going to be it to watch this play out. I don't think people are paying close enough attention. This is ratcheting up quickly. All right, Colonel, good to see you, safe home.
And up next tonight right here on "Hannity."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Much of the media, not all of it, is very, very dishonest. Honestly, it's fake news. It's fake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: The president railing against fake news. He's been doing it now for weeks today. Well, he was doing it again on Twitter. We'll tell you what he said. We'll get reaction from Larry Elder, Mercedes Schlapp.
And then Super Bowl 51, what an incredible finish. It was the first time the Super Bowl went into overtime. Stephen A. Smith, personal friend, ESPN analyst is here with me, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Much of the media, not all of it, is very, very dishonest. Honestly, it's fake news. It's fake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: That was President Trump talking about the alt left radical liberal mainstream media. However, President Trump's words have not stopped the relentless onslaught of smears coming from the biased leftwing press. Trump on Twitter this morning wrote, quote, "Any negative polls are fake news just like CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election. Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting." The president also tweeted, quote, "The failing The New York Times writes total fiction concerning me. They have gotten it wrong for two years and are now making up stories and sources."
Now, the consistently biased coverage from the mainstream media is a reason why according to a recent Quinnipiac poll, look at that, 57 percent of voters say most members of the news media are not honest. That number rises to 86 percent among Republicans. I've been saying journalism is dead for years. And the biased press continues to prove it. They've learned nothing from the election.
Here with reaction, Salem nationally syndicated radio host Larry Elder, FOX News contributor Mercedes Schlapp. It's sort of like, Larry, the MLK bust that wasn't removed or when 90 percent of the Muslims are not included in the immigration ban. It is not a Muslim ban, especially the 40 majority Muslim countries, or the threat that Donald Trump had a call with President Nieto of Mexico and was threatening to invade Mexico, or any of these other examples. There's so many now. It's like on a daily basis. What does this mean for the long term for those news organizations?
LARRY ELDER, SALEM RADIO NATIONAL SYNDICATED HOST: It is about time Republican presidents started pushing back. You have a public editor who used to be with The New York Times named Arthur Brisbane, Sean, who admitted that The New York Times had the worldview of, quote, "a cultural and political progressivism," end of quote.
You've got Deborah Howell who used to be the ombudsman for The Washington Post, and she admitted in the 2008 contest between Romney and Obama that her paper ran more front page stories of Obama, more flattering from page stories of Obama, more pictures of Obama, more flattering pictures of Obama than John McCain. And of course WikiLeaks has exposed not only that the media, major media, Washington Post, New York Times, AP, not just taking a side but actively colluding with the media with the Democrats, leftwing Democrats, and advancing their political agenda. This is a completely rejection of their role as guardians over government. So it's about time that somebody pushed back, and I am so pleased that Donald Trump is doing that very thing.
HANNITY: I have a list here, Mercedes, Indonesia, majority Muslim country, 258.3 million Muslims, they weren't banned. Bangladesh, 156 million, Egypt 94.6 million, Pakistan, 201.9 million, and the list, I'll put it up, 40 countries, 40 countries that are not part of the ban. But the mainstream media said this was either a religious litmus test, like Chuck Todd said, or they keep saying Muslim ban. It is just an outright lie for them to say it, but they double down. Why?
MERCEDES SCHLAPP, WASHINGTON TIMES: And you've read the executive order. It is very clear it is a temporary halt on individuals coming into United States from these seven countries. Why I think is a very simple answer. I think it's the fact that these journalists for a long time, these liberal so called journalists have made it very much their goal to basically be as critical as possible of Donald Trump.
They simply cannot accept the fact that this businessman, the underdog won this election last year and now they are having to report on him. And really what they're trying to do is it is a lot of undermining Donald Trump. You go to the editorial pages of "The Washington Post" or "The New York Times," it is anti-Trump rhetoric constantly.
Now I understand the newspaper would say the editorial page is not linked to the rest of the newspaper, but when you actually look at the news reporting, whether it was on the Martin Luther King bush, whether it was on President Trump and the threat on Mexico, they are just ridiculous allegations.
HANNITY: Or Neil Gorsuch. Neil Gorsuch founded the Fascism Forever club. That didn't happen either, which was reported.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: Love you both, thank you.
Coming up, last night's Super Bowl ending was one for the history books. When we get back, a personal friend, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is in the house, and he's never shy. That's straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." So last night millions and millions of people tuned in to watch Super Bowl 51. They witnessed history as quarterback Tom Brady led the New England Patriots on a comeback win against the Atlanta Falcons after being down 18 points at halftime. Here with reaction is the co-host of "First Take" on ESPN, a person friend, Stephen A.
STEPHEN A. SMITH, CO-HOST OF "FIRST TAKE" ON ESPN: There you go, man.
HANNITY: I say one of my friends, Stephen A.
SMITH: Listen, I appreciate it. Tell the truth. You wanted me on this show because you want to give people the impression you actually know sports, and we both know better.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: I know Tebow. You spent two years beating up on my buddy.
SMITH: Do you mean my friend Tim Tebow?
HANNITY: My friend. He can't be your friend. That means he is a Christian and he forgives you of all of the crap you say.
SMITH: He is a great guy, he's a great athlete. He just couldn't throw.
HANNITY: Let's see how he does in baseball. Let's go to football.
SMITH: Sure.
HANNITY: Tom Brady, I said before the game, I had my prediction if you want to see it. I picked him by three. And I said the difference between those two teams, and the Falcons have a great team. I'm very impressed with Matt Ryan. What a season he's had. They did well. But the difference is Brady, Belichick, and Kraft.
SMITH: First of all I am proud of stepping out on a limb like that. You picked Brady, a four time champion, entering the game. You really stepped out on a limb there.
HANNITY: Who did you pick?
SMITH: I picked the Patriots. I picked them to win because of Tom Brady, and he put on a show last night. And I have to tell you. I have always been a Joe Montana guy. That was a guy that's number one on my list. It changed last night, because Brady gave me the one thing I thought he was lacking in his career was that Montana moment from 88 when he drove San Francisco down the field and connected with John Taylor. What I saw last night from Brady eclipsed all of that. It was sensational.
HANNITY: There's no words to really describe it, and it was not surprising, that's the other part, because he did it so often.
SMITH: I've been covering sports for 24 years, and I'm telling you right now, I've never seen a performance on an NFL field --
HANNITY: It reminded you of the election this year when Donald Trump won and you call me -- he calls me when I'm doing my radio show. He's like you are wrong, you are wrong. Or he texts me during this show.
SMITH: You are usually wrong.
HANNITY: No, I'm always right.
SMITH: You're usually wrong, but someone has to be here for you.
HANNITY: You say to me all the time you take a lot of crap from people for being my friend. Why is that?
SMITH: Because, you know, it is Fox News, it's you, you are a zealot.
HANNITY: I'm a zealot? You are an anti-Tebow zealot.
SMITH: I'm not, and he's my friend.
HANNITY: I don't believe that until I hear it from him.
SMITH: Ask him, he's my friend. But at the same time, and I hate to say it on national television, even though I think you are wrong about 75 percent of the time, you are right sometimes, a, and b, you are actually a very nice guy.
HANNITY: Oh, now you're softening me up.
SMITH: You are just wrong sometimes.
(LAUGHTER)
SMITH: And I understand and that's why I try to be here for you and you help you out to the best of my ability.
HANNITY: You wrote me and you said your buddy Trump has no chance to win. I still have the text.
SMITH: That was after the tapes came out. I never said that beforehand.
HANNITY: You told me to jump ship now.
SMITH: What I was saying to you is, excuse me, in America, particularly when it comes to presidential elections, we see the kind of rhetoric, we see the kind of behavior --
HANNITY: You know what, when they unfairly attacked you.
SMITH: You go with that.
HANNITY: They unfairly attacked you.
SMITH: Listen, we get unfairly attacked all of the time. When you are doing stuff --
HANNITY: Who had your back?
SMITH: Yes, Sean Hannity, you had my back.
HANNITY: Thank you.
SMITH: But at the same time, as much as I appreciate it --
HANNITY: Though you don't, apparently.
SMITH: The fact of the matter is that, listen, I wasn't unemployed. As long as I'm employed --
HANNITY: So the controversy is OK.
SMITH: It doesn't bother me.
HANNITY: I'll tell you what I loved about yesterday's game and what I love about champions, what makes this -- this is artistry. Look at even Matt Ryan's pass to Julio Jones. I mean, wow, that was amazing. But the pass and the catch were spectacular. Then you look at Brady and this run through the fourth quarter into overtime. You know what I love, there is an artistry here. Every pass you are threading the needle in football, and you love to see the guys that work so hard do so well.
SMITH: Let me highlight why I picked Brady. I said at the end of the day, if you are going to beat him you've got to blow him out if you're Atlanta. They started four rookies on defense and four second year players, so you have got eight dudes on the defensive side of the ball that are 24 or 25 years of age. But I'm saying the point is that you are experienced. In a game of this magnitude, it's the biggest stage of sports in this nation. And so you have to go up against if it's tight. But you have to come down the line and you've got to go against a dude that's 39 years of age, a four-time champion who has been to six Super Bowls at the time. He's not worried about it. You have to be worried. And those guys --
HANNITY: I liked the Edelman catch. How cool was that?
SMITH: It was a nice. It was nice and David Tyree-ish for the New York Giants when they beat New England.
HANNITY: Only one team has beaten New England in the Super Bowl, twice.
SMITH: Where are you from, man?
HANNITY: New York.
SMITH: So why are just raving about Boston?
HANNITY: I like Tom Brady. And Tom Brady, all you media on the sports side, the sports media are the worst. They want to brutalize every player.
SMITH: Excuse me, excuse me. After the election that we experienced you've got the audacity to talk about sports media? Is that what you just did?
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: We won. We won. Yes, I did. We won.
SMITH: You are talking to sports media, you are talking to political folks, and you sat up there and said the media is dead, the died a long time ago, and not you're talking about sports --
HANNITY: If you lose, they beat the crap out of you.
SMITH: Because you lost.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: But I won, Trump won, Hillary lost. Who did you vote for?
SMITH: I did not vote for Trump. No, I did not. But I will say this. Even though I did not vote for Trump, not only is he our president, he's our president, respect the man, hold him accountable, no question about that. But also, let's be clear, the Trump that I saw before the election was nothing like the Trump that I saw during the campaign.
HANNITY: He was the one I personally told you that.
SMITH: You did. You did. I'll give you credit. You deserve credit for that, and, by the way, I know it is important to get credit, because lord knows you are usually wrong. So it's a good moment for you.
HANNITY: I was right about Obama, I was right about Tebow, and I'm right about Brady, and I'm right about Trump. But I still love you.
SMITH: While we're here on the air you have the audacity to sit up there and challenge me to a debate on "First Take" one day. I want you to know I would advise that against you. To be against me two hours, you don't want any parts of that, Sean. You don't want to do that to yourself.
HANNITY: I'll even take you in an MMA match if you want.
SMITH: No, I'll lose to you there. I know you have been studying martial arts.
HANNITY: I have been training five years.
SMITH: I know that. I don't mess with you.
HANNITY: But I love you anyways. Steve, my buddy, thank you. I love your show, too.
SMITH: Thank you.
HANNITY: Up next, we need your help, an important "Question of the Day" straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Time for our "Question of the Day," not a political question. How did you like last night's Super Bowl? Just go to Facebook.com/SeanHannity, @SeanHannity on Twitter, let us know what you think. That's all the time we have left this evening. We will see you back here tomorrow night.
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