Kellyanne Conway talks immigration battle, DACA debate

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Kellyanne Conway talks immigration battle, DACA debate

Counselor to the president speaks out on 'Hannity.'

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," January 9, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Thank you for being with us. Welcome to "Hannity."

President Trump is holding firm tonight. We have new information on that key promise to build the wall in terms of the Southern border and bipartisan negotiations with lawmakers today. It was a fascinating and historic on camera debate. The president put his foot down as it relates to building the wall and securing the border first before anything else is done on immigration. After years of broken promises, not getting the job done from members of Congress, it's about time, build the wall.

Now, meanwhile, obstructionist Democrats are showing that they're hypocrites, political opportunists and total flip floppers. We have all the tape. All the video evidence you would ever want.

We will cover that and so much more. We are glad you are with us.

Tonight's breaking news opening monologue next.

(MUSIC)

HANNITY: In what is almost an unprecedented move, President Trump invited lawmakers to the White House today and peeled back the curtains by actually allowing TV cameras into the room to capture their debate on immigration.

Now, most of you I'm sure were unable to watch this play out in full, so, we're going to play large portions of it tonight in case you missed it. Now, the President Trump started off the discussion saying border security has to come first in any deal. Yes, and we want the wall.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We are here today to advance bipartisan immigration reform that serves the needs of the American families, workers, and taxpayers. It's DACA. We've been talking about DACA for a long time. I've been hearing about it for years, long before I decided to go into this particular line of work. And maybe we can do something.

We have a lot of good people in this room. A lot of people that have a great spirit for taking care of the people we represent -- we all represent. For that reason, any legislation on DACA, we feel -- at least a strong part of this group feels -- has to accomplish three vital goals.

And Chairman Goodlatte will be submitting a bill over the next two to three days that will cover many of the things. And, obviously, that will -- if it gets passed, it will go to the Senate and they can negotiate and we'll see how it turns out.

But I feel having the Democrats in with us is absolutely vital because it should be a bipartisan bill. It should be a bill of love. Truly, it should be a bill of love, and we can do that.

But it also has to be a bill where we're able to secure our border. Drugs are pouring into our country at a record pace and a lot of people are coming in that we can't have. We've greatly stiffened, as you know, and fewer people are trying to come in. But we have tremendous numbers of people and drugs pouring into our country.

So, in order to secure it, we need a wall. We need closing enforcement -- we have to close enforcement loopholes, give immigration officers -- and these are tremendous people, the border security agents, the ICE agents -- we have to give them the equipment they need, we have to close loopholes, and this really does include a very strong amount of different things for border security.

I think everybody in the room would agree to that. I think that we -- it's a question of the amounts. But I think everyone agrees we have to have border security. I don't think there would be anybody that says "no".

Second, it has to be a bill to end chain migration. Chain migration is bringing in many, many people with one, and often it doesn't work out very well. Those many people are not doing us right. And I think a lot of people in the room -- and I'm not sure I can speak for everybody, but a lot of the people in this room want to see chain migration ended.

And we have a recent case along the West Side Highway, having to do with chain migration, where a man ran over -- killed eight people and many people injured badly. Loss of arms, loss of legs. Horrible thing happened, and then you look at the chain and all of the people that came in because of him. Terrible situation.

And the other is: cancel the lottery program. They call it "visa lottery," I just call it "lottery". But countries come in and they put names in a hopper. They're not giving you their best names; common sense means they're not giving you their best names. They're giving you people that they don't want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, as you watch this tonight, remember this is the same president that the media and every Democrat has been telling you for days and weeks and in some cases months is absolutely crazy. No, he was very engaged. He was totally in charge.

And being transparent, extremely patient and common sense solutions were being offered. He was giving you, the American people, a rare glimpse into an historic process on the important issue of immigration reform. And just a few hours ago, all the president tweeted: As I made very clear today, our country needs the security of the wall on the southern border, which must be a part of any DACA approval.

The president obviously now refusing to back down on building the border wall. I have been saying this months and years in order for the GOP to be successful, you guys want to win the midterm elections? Build 200 or 300 miles of the border wall. Go down there and cut your commercials. Promise made, promise kept. Voters happy.

The American people need to see tangible results and progress being made on this key promise is key for November. This has to be: fund the wall, build the wall first, because it's always like oh, you get the tax increase, you never get the spending cuts they promise. You always get the consideration, the amnesty, whatever it happens to be, the wall never gets built.

We have been down this road. We have seen this rodeo before.

You, Republicans, you want to win in November? You’re up for election, not Donald Trump. Put the American people, put their security first and show them that by November, you're keeping your promises. Just smart, good for the country, good politics.

After the president's remarks, Democrats they quickly moved to their debate. All they care is amnesty, DACA, annual necessity and DACA. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. STENY HOYER, D-MD.: Democrats are for security at the borders. I want to state that emphatically. There is not a Democrat that is not for having secure borders. There are obviously differences, however, Mr. President, on how you affect that you just indicated that yourself. And you indicated this would be a first step and then we continue to talk as we are talking today about how we best secure the border. There are differences of opinion within your party and within our party.

So, I would urge that we move forward on protecting the DACA protected individuals. Young people. Young adults as you pointed out in one of your statements who are productive parts of our community. That we protect them and get that done and then, because I think everybody around the table as you pointed out is for security, and then the issue is going to be, how do we best affect that border security?

So, I would urge us to move as Senator Durbin has just moved on the DACA students. As a matter of fact, the speaker, I think today but maybe yesterday said we need to solve the DACA issue and we need to solve it in a way that is permanent not temporary. And I agree with him on that issue.

TRUMP: And interestingly when you say that President Obama, when he signed the executive order actually said he doesn't have the right to do this. And so, you do have to go through Congress and you do have to make it permanent. Whether he does, whether he doesn't, let's assume he doesn't. He said it and that was a temporary stopgap.

I don't think we want that I think we want to have a permanent solution to this. And I think everybody in this room feels that way and very strongly.

HOYER: What happened, Mr. President, I think is that the Senate passed a comprehensive immigration bill, as you know. We did not consider it in the House so we didn't reach those issues. Very frankly on border security, Mr. McCaul, the chairman of the committee, reported out a unanimous security solution, which we then included in the bill that we filed on comprehensive immigration reform. So, I think we can reach agreement.

TRUMP: Well, I also think after we do DACA and I really believe we should be successful. I think we should look in terms of your permanent solution and to the whole situation with immigration. I think a lot of people in this room would agree to that also. But we'll do it in steps and most people agree with that I think. Do it in steps. Even you say let's do this and then we go phase two.

Kevin, what would you like to say?

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY, R-CALIF.: Well, first, I want to thank you for bringing everybody together. You got the Senate, you got the House, you got both parties.

I like the exchange of ideas. I think everybody has a point here.

The one thing I don't want to have happen here is what I saw in the past. There were former bills that were passed on border security years ago that never got finished. There are immigration bills passed that were right back on the table with the same problem.

Let's make a commitment to each one and most importantly to the American people, that when we get done and come to an agreement, that we're not back at this problem three, four years from now.

That's why yes, we have got to do DACA and I agree with you 100 percent. But if we do not do something with the security, if we do not do something with the chain migration, we are fooling each other that we solved a problem.

You know how difficult this issue is. So, let's collectively, we're here at the table together. I will be the first one to tell you we are all going to have to give a little and I will be the first one willing to.

But let's solve the problem. But let's not tell the American public at the end that it is solved when it's not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Great points by Kevin McCarthy.

Here are some of the other big moments from today's immigration debate. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The country is doing well in so many ways but there is such divisiveness, such division and I really believe we can solve that. I think this system is a very bad system in terms of getting together and I'm going to leave it up to you but I really believe can you do something to bring it together.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C.: Other than going to dinner with Bob, I have been doing this for 10 years. I don't see a better chance of getting it done than I do right now because of you.

John is right. I'm not going to support a bill if you don't support it.

I've had my head beat out a bunch; I'm still standing. I'm "Lindsey Grahamnesty," "Lindsey Gomez" -- you name every name you want to give to me, it's been assigned to me. And I'm still standing.

The people of South Carolina want a result. How can I get a letter? I've been for a pathway to citizenship for 11 million people because I have no animosity toward them. I don't want crooks, I don't want bad hombres.

I want to get a merit-based immigration system to make sure we can succeed in the 21st century, and I'm willing to be more than fair to the 11 million. I just don't want to do this every 20 years.

TRUMP: Chain migration has taken a very big hit in the last year with what's happening. I mean, you look at these killers, whether you like or not, looking at these killers and then you see 18 people came in, 22 people came in, 30 people came in with this one person that just killed a lot of people.

I really don't believe there are a lot of Democrats that are going to be supporting chain migration anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should we have the Homeland Security secretary?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you don't mind just a couple things on border security. I want to make sure we are all linking. The reason that border security is so important to have as part of this discussion is that it doesn't solve the problem if we can apprehend people but we can't remove them.

So, we need the wall system, which is some physical structure as the president described, focused on technology but we have to close those legal loopholes because the effect of this is incredible pull up from Central America that continues to exacerbate the problem. Border security has to be part of this or he will be here again in three, four, five years ago -- maybe, unfortunately, sooner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to reemphasize what Secretary Nielsen said, it is so important to understand when you talk about border security if you apprehend somebody at the border but then you cannot send them back outside the United States, even though they are unlawfully present in the United States, you have not solved this problem because they are then released into the interior of the country and the problem persists and that sends a message back to wherever they have come from. Come do it.

TRUMP: You know what, we're going to negotiate that out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.

TRUMP: I agree. And I think a lot of people agree on both sides.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The other thing we have got to look at the wall itself, Mr. President. You talk to your border patrol chief or the former border patrol chief, I have asked them, how much time does the wall buy you? They will say a couple minutes or a few seconds. It is our own border patrol chiefs that have said that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not mine. Mine has made clear the wall works.

TRUMP: They say without the wall we cannot have border security. All you have to do is ask Israel. Look what happened with --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ask Yuma. Ask San Diego.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Homeland appropriations, your chief was there and the former chiefs have all said that. Now, the other thing.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you look at -- this is where the wall -- Mr. President, if you look at where the walls are at right now, this is where the activity is where the walls are at right now.

TRUMP: We have massive miles of area where people are pouring through. Now, one of the good things because of our rhetoric or because of the perceived, you know, my perceived attitude, fewer people are trying to come through, that's a great thing. And, therefore, our numbers have been fantastic maybe for all the right reasons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me just finish my thought. I want to ask you that we're playing -- you saw the game last night, it was a good game last night.

TRUMP: Very good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are playing defense on the one yard line called the U.S. border. We spend over $18 billion a year on the border. If we think about playing defense on the 20-yard line, if you look at what Mexico has done, they stop thousands of people on the southern border with Guatemala.

We ought to be looking at --

TRUMP: We stopped them. We stopped them. Do you know why? Mexico told me, the president told me, everybody tells me, not as many people are coming through their southern border because they don't think they can get through our southern border and therefore they don't come.

That's what happened with Mexico. We did Mexico a tremendous favor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We actually put appropriations to help with the southern border.

TRUMP: The point is -- I know. We always give everybody. Every other nation gets money but ours. We are always looking for money. We give the money to other nations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But finally the last --

TRUMP: That we have to stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Instead of playing defense on the one yard line, if I look, we know where the stash houses are at. We know where the hotels are at. We know where they are across the river.

TRUMP: And we're going after it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why stop -- why play defense on the one yard line?

TRUMP: We are going after them like never before.

UNIDENTIIFED MALE: All I'm say is, if we focus on DACA, we can work on the other things separately on sensible border security, listen to the folks that are from the border and --

TRUMP: You folks are going to have to come up with a solution. And if you do I'm going to sign that solution.

We have a lot of smart people in this room, really smart people. We have a lot of people that are good people, big hearts, they want to get it done. I think almost everybody, I can think of one or two I don't particularly like but that's OK.

(LAUGHTER)

So I think everybody -- everybody wants -- I'm trying to figure that out. Everybody wants a solution. You want it Henry and I want it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there any agreement without the wall?

TRUMP: No. There wouldn't be.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The wall has to be there.

TRUMP: You need it. John, you need the wall. I mean, it's wonderful. I would love not to build a wall but you need the wall.

And I will tell you this. The ICE officers and the border patrol agents I had them just recently up, they say if you don't have the wall, you know, in certain areas, obviously, that aren't protected by nature, if you don't have the wall, you cannot have security. Just can't have it. It doesn't work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: If you don't have the wall, you will never have security. Also, the DHS Secretary Nielsen made some great points as you saw in that exchange.

And as we saw today, the president and even some Republicans are saying the border wall has to come first. It has to. And then Congress can talk about other things.

To me, that's the right answer. If you build the wall, expeditiously and fully fund it, you can move forward. You can have your discussions. Chain migration, also must go away. The lottery system. We have learned in the last year must go away.

And when it comes to the Democrats, they are massive hypocrites. And they are being exposed nothing but political opportunists on the issue of immigration. I doubt anyone else in the media is about to show you these massive flip-flops. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I voted numerous times when I was a senator to spend money to build a barrier to try to prevent illegal immigrants from coming in. And I do think you have to control your borders.

Where it was necessary, we did support some fencing. Where it was necessary, we did add border patrol agents. We have done what by any fair estimate would have to conclude is a good job, quote, securing the border.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, D-N.Y.: People who entered the United States without our permission are illegal aliens and illegal aliens should not be treated the same as people who enter the U.S. legally. The American people will never accept immigration reform unless they truly believe that their government is committed to ending future illegal immigration.

The president's decision to end DACA was heartless, and it was brainless. If this order stands, hundreds, hundreds of thousands of families will be ripped apart. Tens of thousands of American businesses will lose hard- working employees.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT: Those who enter our country legally and those who employ them disrespect the rule of law. And because we live in an age where terrorists are challenging our borders, we cannot allow people to pour into the U.S. undetected, undocumented, and unchecked.

If there are disruptions in these countries, if there is conflict, if there is bad governance, if there's war, if there's poverty, in this new world that we live, in we can't isolate ourselves. We can't hide behind a wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: It shows how far left now this Democratic Party has moved. By the way, anyone else going to point out the hypocrisy? I guess now that it's politically expedient for the Democratic Party in now opposing the policies they were passionately supporting en masse.

Now, FoxNews.com has a great article up today showcasing the Democrats' blatant hypocrisy on immigration. Here's the headline: Dems change tune on border wall after backing barrier oh under Obama.

And the reporting points out that five years ago under Barack Obama, the entire Democratic Caucus voted to build 700 miles of fencing along the southern border. It's the same area that President Trump's border wall would cover. They didn't get the job done and it doesn't end there.

The bills Democrats supported which was called the Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act also included $40 billion over a decade to strengthen border security measures and also call the doubling the number - - called for doubling the number of border agents to be hired. It would have been a good idea.

Here's what this tells us: Democratic Party and their opposition to what President Trump is asking for is nothing but a total farce. It's about playing politics, identity politics. It has nothing to do with the facts and reality about what is going on at the border.

Look, I have personally been reporting from the border at least a dozen times. Horseback, all-terrain vehicle, I have been out there on helicopters, boats, I have done it all. All of it.

I have seen gang members being arrested. A warehouse, the biggest one you have ever seen, floor to ceiling drugs that were confiscated. I have been in a drug smuggling tunnel and much more.

The problems down there are real. Human trafficking, drug trafficking, Democrats don't want to address these issues because they would rather try and now score cheap political points.

All right. When we come back, we will continue our discussion. Kellyanne Conway is here. She will respond to all of this in a busy news-breaking night on "Hannity."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there any agreement without the wall?

TRUMP: No. There wouldn't be.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The wall has to be there.

TRUMP: You need it. John, you need the wall. I mean, it's wonderful. I would love not to build a wall but you need the wall.

And I will tell you this. The ICE officers and the border patrol agents I had them just recently up, they say if you don't have the wall, you know, in certain areas, obviously, that aren't protected by nature, if you don't have the wall, you cannot have security. Just can't have it. It doesn't work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Got it. Welcome back to "Hannity."

Here with reaction to my opening monologue and the president's big bipartisan meeting on immigration at the White House today, counsel to the president, Kellyanne Conway, is back.

Good to see you, Kellyanne.

Here, the president put out this tweet earlier tonight and he said building the wall and we heard him over and over again. It's imperative. I know that conservatives, friends of mine, they doubt because they have been promised again and again and again.

We always get the consideration amnesty, never the wall. We always get the spending increase, never the tax cut. Now, we have the tax cut. People want to see that wall. They want to see some of it by November.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: Everyone in that room today, everyone watching now knows where the president stands on the wall. He just repeated it for you, live and in person in front of the entire world to see, Sean.

HANNITY: Yes.

CONWAY: The wall is imperative. The wall the president made clear today because he has talked and he has conferred with those literally on the front lines who want this wall. He asked the ICE agents. He asked the border patrol agents. He asked those on the front line what they want. Secretary Nielsen has asked her folks, what do you need to be able to do your job to make us a more safe and secure nation? And they have all said we need this type of secure -- we need a border. You know, we have spent billions of dollars over decades helping other countries secure their own borders, their own sovereignty. It's high time we did it in our country and this is the leader who will make it happen, Donald Trump.

I think in the span of one hour today, you saw in full the three major promises this president has made to the country: security, prosperity, and transparency. The transparency is obvious. Even some of his greatest critics in the media were flabbergasted, really stunned but appreciative that this president held forth on camera for a full hour with no filter, no script for anybody, just a conversation, bicameral, bipartisan, unprecedented in that way in the cabinet room.

Secondly, the security. This president knows his first obligation is to keep us safe and secure in this country. Do that with the wall. The wall, the southern border is 2,000 miles, about 800 or so might be the physical wall.

There are mountainous and river areas where you can't put a physical structure but you can put fencing. You can have technology. You can put more agents there. It makes us more safe and secure. People are already not crossing as much as they did illegally because this man is president, because they know walls are being built. Because they know folks are tougher.

We don't want the poisonous drugs coming over our border. We don't want people coming in train migration and visa lottery.

And finally, the prosperity. Economic security and national security go hand in hand. And you see what's happening with this president. His leadership, his bold actions along with that of the Republicans in Congress, that massive tax cut for the middle class.

They are making this country more prosperous. Consumer confidence, unemployment levels down for African-Americans for teens, for Hispanics, for women, for all of America, all of the confidence measures up.

National security, economic security go hand in hand. The wall is not negotiable.

The Democrats came there today basically saying DACA is not negotiable. Give us a clean DACA bill, the president said no. DACA considered the wall. Also an end to chain migration which accounts for 9.3 million resettled in the population a year.

One person comes here and you get about seven family members. Some countries send upwards of 20 family members. It has to stop.

HANNITY: When I showed the tape of Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton and then there is Barack Obama.

CONWAY: Yes.

HANNITY: All these Democrats, they basically sound like Donald Trump. But now because Donald Trump supports it, they can't possibly support. Only if the anointed one, Obama, maybe if Oprah supported it, they would support it.

So, is it just opposition to this president for the sake of opposition?

And the other point is all these days, I saw a president in command of the facts, leading, opening up transparency like we have never had before today. And that's what made it so fascinating.

CONWAY: It was. And those of us who work there see that every day on a regular basis. He really enjoys a discussion. He welcomes dissent and he welcomes discussion.

This president takes many different inputs and ideas and he makes the final decision. He was the one elected here after all.

But I think what you saw on full display today is very similar to what we see in an ongoing basis at this White House. Let me just say this. When you ask what's different now, sure, what's different for these Democrats including Hillary Clinton there crowing and bragging about how much she doesn't think we should have people crossing illegally and we should have borders.

Wow, she should have said that in 2015. She might have made some of the states more competitive although. Anyway, we would have won anyway, but the fact is that what's changed is number one, they have a president who is willing to actually do it. And just like with these tax cuts, just like with moving the embassy to Jerusalem, people have promised but they never thought they would have a president who would do it.

Number two, they are beholden many of the special interests and this is a president who is talking about national interests not special interests.

HANNITY: Last question, quick answer, we're running out of time. For 2018, isn't it good for the Republican Party to be able to say see, we're keeping our promise. We have 200 or 300 miles of the wall done now. Take a look at it. We meant it. We got it done.

CONWAY: No doubt. We didn't get here overnight. We know the wall can't be built overnight but people seeing that it is happening, that you have a physical wall, you also have technology, you have fencing in places where a physical wall cannot happen. And most importantly, you end the chain migration, the diversity visa lottery --

HANNITY: Right, absolutely.

CONWAY: -- and you show people about that southern border that we have more ICE agents there. We need to empower these men and women with the tools they need to do their job.

HANNITY: All right, Kellyanne, thanks for staying up late. I know you're always up early. We appreciate it.

CONWAY: Thanks, Sean.

HANNITY: When we come back, Ed Hendry is here with a live report on disturbing new details on the anti-Trump dirty dossier, also, Lara Trump and more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." Congressional panels are investigating whether Trump-hating FBI agent Peter Strzok and of course his mistress, Lisa Page, helped leak information to the press. We had our "Special Report" last night. Also today, Senator Dianne Feinstein, she released a transcript of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson and his August interview with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Here with a live report from the White House and all the latest details is Ed Henry. And Ed, they talked about somebody died already over this.

ED HENRY, FOX NEWS CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. A question that maybe leaking out this information in the so-called Trump dossier that unverified information about the president may have led to someone being killed, an intelligence asset who was revealed because of this information that was published.

In fact, in the last few moments, the president's personal attorney Michael Cohen has filed two lawsuits involving the dossier over defamation. One for BuzzFeed, which published some of this, the other being actually Fusion GPS, the company that put together the dossier and Glenn Simpson personally the former journalist involved in Fusion GPS. More on that in a minute.

As you mentioned, the FBI tonight also facing more scrutiny over anti-Trump text messages on the eve of the 2016 election, specifically what lawmakers on the Hill are looking at back and forth messages between FBI officials, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. These were particularly messages about a Wall Street Journal story apparently focused on The Clinton Foundation which of course is now the focus of a renewed FBI probe into whether the original review of the foundation was too soft.

These texts showing the duo suggesting they knew in advance about the story and then we're going to share it with FBI colleagues and pretend they knew nothing about it, raising questions about whether they leaked sensitive information or whether they and other FBI officials actually leaked classified information.

A question that the house intel chairman Devon Nunes will get a chance to ask Strzok and Page since we have also learned that those two FBI officials will be among eight witnesses brought before the house intelligence panel in the next few weeks to get answers about Fusion GPS and alleged wrongdoing among FBI and Justice Department officials.

Another key witness is going to be Obama justice department holdover Bruce Ohr. He was just stripped of another title at the Justice Department. Remember, his wife actually worked for Fusion GPS and was a so-called Russia expert. That company's co-founder, Glenn Simpson, under the microscope after, yes, you mentioned Dianne Feinstein released his transcript of his private testimony to a senate committee last summer.

She says, Dianne Feinstein, she released the more than 300 pages to set the record straight. But allies of the president say there is no evidence of collusion for the Trump campaign and this transcript actually raises new questions about Fusion's collusion with the Hillary Clinton campaign. The transcript shows Simpson declined to answer several questions about how Fusion was paid. Since then of course, we have learned from Republicans getting bank records that Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and the DNC paid for this information through Democratic attorney Marc Elias. Now, when Simpson was pressed on whether Fusion GPS was a Democratic-linked firm.

He responded that he did not think so despite that money passing hands. As I mentioned at the top, breaking this hour though, about this dossier, the personal attorney for the president, Michael Cohen, longtime ally of the president just filed two suits. In New York State, he has filed a suit against "Buzz Feed" for publishing some of the dossier. "Buzz Feed" has just put out a statement tonight saying that, quote, the interest to the public is obvious in that dossier and that's why they published it and they will aggressively defend their first amendment rights.

And then meanwhile, that's in state court in New York. A federal lawsuit just filed by Michael Cohen, the personal attorney for the president as well, against Glen Simpson and Fusion GPS, this firm that put together the dossier with that former British spy, Christopher Steele. So this is just breaking in the last few moments, Sean, and it shows that the Trump camp is really fighting back here over all of this, Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Ed, great report tonight. We appreciate it. And joining us now with reaction, Fox News contributor Sara Carter, Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett is with us. You know, Sarah, this is the Hillary Clinton bought and paid for dossier, with paid for Russian lies and propaganda and salacious details that were never true. Go ahead.

SARAH CARTER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: No, well, I think one of the most interesting points that's been brought up today is that, you know, Glenn Simpson testified that the FBI had a source within the Trump campaign. And by the way that story, a colleague of mine here pointed out that that story is still a top story on the "Washington Post" website. What's interesting is that according to people close to Glenn Simpson and Fusion GPS, he misspoke.

That isn't true at all. That what he was referring to was Papadopoulos actually in London. So, here we have, you know, the "Washington Post" still with the headline out there that there was a source working inside the Trump campaign for the FBI and it's flat out wrong. So there is a lot of factual errors and even within his own testimony --

HANNITY: And every news network, they went nuts with this. And you're right, they have been wrong. They have been wrong all along. Let's talk about the legal side of this. Gregg Jarrett, I'm glad Michael Cohen is fighting back. Truth does matter. Thoughts.

GREGG JARRETT, FOX NEWS LEGAL ANALYST: It absolutely does and it's a legitimate defamation lawsuit. A false statement and clearly the dossier is false to damages somebody's name and reputation. Look, I went through all 311 pages of Glenn Simpson's testimony. It's pretty clear this is a guy who trades in rumor, innuendos, suggestions, wild speculations. I think he has read to many Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy novels.

Basically the entire 311 pages is trash because this guy doesn't know anything. The dossier, he is asked as to every specific aspect of the dossier. Did you verify this? Did you verify that? And the answer is no.

HANNITY: Amazing. I love the fact -- you read everything and we love you for it, Gregg. You really are amazing.

JARRETT: Sure.

HANNITY: Let me ask you this. They are talking about already a death in the case. Now, hang on a second. When we reported, Sarah, right here on this program that Hillary Clinton and the Fox News Channel reported that five foreign intelligence agencies, 99 percent likelihood that they got all of those 33,000 emails and then some and classified and top secret and special access programs. If James Comey is drafting that in fact, remember the draft, the exoneration before the investigation.

CARTER: That's right.

HANNITY: And Comey wrote himself that it was likely these foreign entities got it. Do we know of any potential harm that came to anybody?

CARTER: Well, certainly, I mean, this is the main reason why we don't want classified information in the hands of enemy states and even our allies. We want to keep that very guarded. So, that could certainly be true. There could certainly be in people or assets or areas that are compromised now because of those potential access to her server.

And even with the dossier right now. I know that people are looking into this. We don't know. We don't know. Look, there were a lot of bad players in Russia. A lot of bad players out there. So people could be killed for many reasons when things like this happen so, but we don't even know what we are hearing here is factual.

HANNITY: Unbelievable.

CARTER: So we need to do a little bit more investigation.

HANNITY: Comey and Strzok rigged the primaries so Hillary could keep going. And then sadly, she rigged the primary against Bernie Sanders. And on top of this, we have this literally Hillary Clinton bought and paid for dossier. We have so much more news coming in the days ahead. Good to see you both.

By the way, I kind of like you without a tie, Gregg Jarrett. I know it's a casual vacation day for you. We dragged you in. Thank you for coming. And when we come back, President Trump responds to reports that Oprah Winfrey might run against him in 2020. Lara Trump and Joe Concha are here with reaction and you will not believe the Hannity Hotline.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Yes, Oprah would be a lot of fun. I know her very well. You know, I did one of her last shows. She had Donald Trump before politics her last week and she had Donald Trump and my family. It was very nice. I like Oprah. I don't think she is going to run.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks guys.

TRUMP: I don't think she is going to run.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks, guys.

TRUM<P: I know her very well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: The president earlier today responding to a report Oprah Winfrey might be the savior for the Democrats against him in 2020, something the liberal media has been completely giddy about. Here are the reactions. The Hill's Joe Concha and President Trump's daughter-in-law and senior adviser for Trump 2020, Lara Trump is with us. First of all, congratulations. I just saw pictures of the baby.

LARA TRUMP, SENIOR ADVISER FOR TRUMP 2020: Thank you.

HANNITY: Absolutely. That hair is to die for. It's amazing. Look, I honestly think that when all of the noise settles at the end of the day, the fact that we have 2 million fewer people on food stamps, the economy is turning around, every indicator, I won't go through the list.

L. TRUMP: Oh my gosh, we could go on for hours, right?

HANNITY: I have 100 and some accomplishments in year one.

L. TRUMP: Yes. Yes. Well listen, let's not forget that is what the strategy is for 2020. That is what my father-in-law is going to run on. The incredible achievements. We have already seen and he hasn't been in office for a full year and look at what he has done.

So, I would love to know if Oprah is who we have to run against in 2020. She is an incredible woman. I think she has many, many accomplishments under her belt. A great television host, but, let's not forget Donald Trump in 2016 defeated 16 incredible GOP candidates and Hillary Clinton.

HANNITY: And the media laughed at the idea.

L. TRUMP: The darling of the media. Oh, they had said he had no shot. And it's going to be a lot harder, I think, to run against him in 2020 than anybody is suggesting right now. And I think Oprah would be very smart to sit this one out.

HANNITY: Well, why is there a desire always in the media, Joe, for their savior? Because we know that they wake up in the morning seeing what they can hate Donald Trump about on any given day.

JOE CONCHA, MEDIA WRITER, THE HILL: Sean, I think the media is advocating for an Oprah Winfrey candidacy because never in the history of clicks and ratings would there be anything better from an infotainment perspective from a business perspective than Winfrey versus Trump in 2020. And I just find that amazing that the same media that derided a political novice and a TV host for having the audacity to run in 2016 is now drooling over the prospect of Oprah Winfrey doing it in 2020.

HANNITY: You know, one of the things I always like to ask you because I watch the attacks on your family. You know that they are -- they always wanted to get Donald Trump. They never thought he would win. Then he wins. Then they were attacking him. And then Russia collusion not proven. A lot is boomeranging back, but it's hard. How hard has it been on your family?

L. TRUMP: Listen, I won't lie and say it's been easy. It's hard every single day. We get hit from every possible angle. No matter what we do we're going to get hit. So I think for all of us it's about making sure that we support my father-in-law and the incredible job that he is doing for this country.

HANNITY: The agenda is good for the country, Lara.

L. TRUMP: It is. There is no two ways about it, and come February 1st when people have a lot fatter paycheck, even the people that didn't vote for Donald Trump are going to say wait a minute, maybe this guy is on to something. Maybe this tax reform was a good thing.

HANNITY: The baby is four months old, right?

L. TRUMP: Almost four months old this week.

HANNITY: Has he been in the Oval Office yet?

L. TRUMP: He has, yes.

HANNITY: And you have those pictures -- have you tweeted those out?

L. TRUMP: Oh my gosh. Yes, we have. Actually Eric tweeted a picture out of him there.

HANNITY: You know he has the same desk that John F. Kennedy has and Ronald Reagan had. And they have -- they still have that opening.

L. TRUMP: I think he may be the youngest to sit behind that desk.

HANNITY: Oh, is that true? I would take the picture in the opening too. And definitely with the hairstyle I saw today it's amazing. All right, last word Joe Concha, I think at the end of the day the noise goes away, is the economy better and are we safer as a country and how many promises did he keep?

CONCHA: Well, that's what you have to look at, Sean, was what's the five biggest issues that voters voted on in 2016, according to most polls. Economy, OK, which you could say things are going excellent as you pointed out before. Jobs, unemployment at 17-year low. ISIS, the caliphate 98 percent of it destroyed. Healthcare, incomplete that didn't work out in 2017. And then obviously immigration, which is being discussed today we're in year two now. So, if four of those five are kept, I don't see Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, those key states where trade and economy were really important. It's hard to see those votes flipping in again. It depends on the Democrats run

HANNITY: Show us 200, 300 miles of the wall. Great to see you. Welcome back.

L. TRUMP: Thank you.

HANNITY: Congrats on the baby.

From all of us. All right. Last night a guy says every time I open my mouth a kitten dies. Tonight, Hannity Hotline is worse.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right, tonight's video of the day comes from one of the most biased anti-Trump reporters at fake news CNN over the last year, Jim Acosta spent more time bashing President Trump than almost anyone else on TV. And as a reward, CNN just promoted him to the coveted position of White House correspondent. All right, congratulations Jim, not just for the new title.

But I think you have a really strong shot to take the prize in the president and his fake news awards. In case like most of America, you don't watch fake news CNN, our video of the day has some of Acosta's, on his mind, best moments but we know worst.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You understand how a wall can be different than border security, Sarah?

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITES HOUSE PRESS SECRETARAY: No actually I don't, no.

ACOSTA: Border security could mean drones, it could mean agents, it could mean more fencing, it doesn't necessarily mean a physical wall that the president --

SANDERS: And that's part of the negotiation that we expect Congress to have.

ACOSTA: And you understand Democrats are saying that they may not be in favor of this kind of deal. That they say thanks but no thanks for a wall.

SANDERS: Jim, I'm not negotiating with you. I'm going to let Congress take care of that.

ACOSTA: What we're witnessing right now is just this erosion of our freedoms in terms of covering the president of the United States. I think that there are moments when this president is just really sensitive to criticism and he lashes out in this fashion.

That is just a strange and unpresidential thing to do, to be throwing rolls of paper towels at people.

The last three news conferences, Wolf, all of the questions to the American news media have been handled by conservative press and I think, Wolf, there is no other way to describe it but the fix is in.

The Statue of Liberty has always been a beacon hope to the world --

STEPHEN MILLER, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: Jim, Jim, let me ask you a question. Jim.

ACOSTA: -- for people to send their people to this country. And they're not always going to speak English, Stephen.

MILLER: Jim, do you believe --

ACOSTA: They're not always going to be highly skilled. They're not always going to be --

MILLER: Jim, I appreciate your speech.

ACOSTA: I think we saw the president's true colors today and I'm not sure they were red, white, and blue.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

HANNITY: The fix is in, you mean like Strzok and Comey? And like Bernie Sanders? Like they don't report that. Now it's the Hannity Hotline. Unbelievable. More kittens.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIPS)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not going to give you my name or number. You are such a (BLEEP). You always criticize Hillary. How about criticizing President Trump? He is nothing but a liar and you are a liar too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm calling to tell you that while you were speaking tonight, my cat had kittens, so don't worry about that. And also, maybe you wouldn't have to state things over and over again ad nauseam if the fake news didn't print ad nauseam.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey Hannity, you know, I went to the doctor and told him I've been getting real sick between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. every night. You know what he told me? I got Hannity derangement syndrome. And the cure is to sit through "Let There Be Light" for an hour and a half without throwing up in my popcorn bucket.

(END AUDIO CLIPS)

HANNITY: What is it with the kittens? Every time I open my mouth I kill a kitten. I can't open my mouth. We'll never be the fake news media. Always fair and balanced. If you have anything to say 877-225-8587. And look who's next.

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