Laura Ingraham slams the 'outbreak of media fascism'
Fox News contributor sounds off on 'Hannity'
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 25, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: By the way, thanks to all my friends at "The Five," another great show in their new timeslot. And by the way, Tucker, "The Five" all debuted number one in their timeslots last night. Congratulations to them all.
Anyway, welcome to "Hannity." Very busy news night on this busy news week. Laura Ingraham, Kellyanne Conway, Herman Cain, Ari Fleischer will all join us in a few minutes.
But first, the alt radical left propaganda destroy Trump media -- well, they've been out to destroy President Trump but also anybody who dares to support him and his policies. That's tonight's very important "Opening Monologue."
All right, it's no secret that the alt-radical destroy Trump propaganda media, they are completely biased. They're agenda-driven. They're lazy. They're ideological. They're incapable of actually delivering honest news coverage to you, the American people.
Now, we know for a fact they helped elect Barack Obama -- they never vetted him. They colluded with the Clinton campaign -- that was proven through WikiLeaks. And we know that they're on a mission to take down President Trump. Simply put, they want him thrown out of office, if possible, hand-cuffed, mug-shotted, perp walked and put in jail.
Since they won't stop until that happens, well, now the destroy Trump media, they're advancing their attack and they're targeting outlets and people and individuals who refuse to push their biased talking points and fall in line with their agenda.
By the way, they hate Fox News. They hate talk radio. Matter of fact, they hate any conservative who supports this president and supports his policies.
Their goal right now is to shut down and completely silence what they see as, quote, "opposition." It's evolved into what I am calling tonight media fascism.
Let me explain. Now, last night, I told you that I have become the target of a smear and slander campaign. Now, the alt-radical destroy Trump media quickly, immediately, they picked up on all the smears and lies. It spread like wildfire all around the country, despite the fact these allegations were completely false.
The individual who made them quickly recanted these bogus claims, but the destroy Trump media, they wanted a cheap headline. A simple, basic fundamental Google search would have ended the witch hunt against me. But these lazy so-called journalists -- they -- if they did that, they would have discovered this individual has incredible, serious, severe credibility issues and has targeted and tried to smear and slander me for well over a decade.
But as I said, this isn't about me or any individual. It's so much bigger. It is about silencing every single conservative voice in the country.
Now, the seeds of this have already been planted. The playbook has already been revealed. The destroy Trump media viciously attacked then-candidate Trump and now President Trump.
Want an example? I'll give you a few. Take a look at these disgusting examples.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
SETH MEYERS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER, APRIL 30, 2011: Donald Trump has been saying that he will run for president as a Republican, which is surprising since I just assumed he was running as a joke.
(LAUGHTER)
REP. KEITH ELLISON, D-MINN., "THIS WEEK"/ABC, JULY 26, 2015: We better be ready for the fact that he might be leading the Republican ticket.
(LAUGHTER)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: I know you don't believe that, but I want to go on.
(LAUGHTER)
BILL MAHER, HOST, "REAL TIME"/HBO, JUNE 19, 2015: Which Republican candidate has the best chance of winning the general election?
ANN COULTER, COLUMNIST: Of the declared ones? Right now, Donald Trump.
(LAUGHTER)
MIKA BRZEZINSKI, CO-HOST, "MORNING JOE"/MSNBC, MARCH 10 : I understand why so many people voted for him. I understand where you were coming from. I understand why you like him. But this man is lying to you.
BRIAN WILLIAMS, MSNBC, FEB. 16: Trump's critics, those who are worried about this president and this White House, saw a live special television event brought to you by narcissism, thin skin, chaos and deeply personal grievances.
VAN JONES, CNN, NOV. 9, 2016: This was a whitelash. This was a whitelash against a changing country. It was a whitelash against a black president, in part. And that's the part where the pain comes.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC, JAN. 20 : When he said today, America first, it was not just the racial -- I mean, the -- I shouldn't say "racial," the Hitlerian background to it.
JONES, CNN, OCT. 19, 2016: This is a very sad night for the country. You can't polish this turd.
(CROSSTALK)
DON LEMON, CNN, JAN. 11: He called you fake news. What if you had called him a fake president?
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
HANNITY: If it wasn't so serious, it would be funny. Now, these media fascists, they've been going after the president non-stop since November the 9th. But as we've seen, the commander-in-chief to his credit refuses to sit back and take it. He's been fighting back at everything that has been thrown at him.
Now, this has obviously frustrated the destroy Trump hate Trump media, and since they can't take down the big prize, President Trump, they're now redirecting some of their attacks and targeting every White House adviser -- by the way, even the first lady, members of the president's family, his daughter. Even the president's 10-year-old son is a target.
Now, tonight, it's time to label what we're seeing for what it really is, and that's why I call it media fascism.
Anyway, joining us with reaction, editor-in-chief Lifezette, Fox News contributor, nationally syndicated radio host -- do you have any more titles -- Laura Ingraham is with us.
LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I'm working on it. I have a couple in mind, but it's a family show I got to -- I got to make sure-
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: You can say anything on this show. Once...
INGRAHAM: All right. Great.
HANNITY: So here's my point on this. I've got it. You've been in the public eye. We've basically been in the -- we've come up the ranks together, if you will.
INGRAHAM: Yes.
HANNITY: And I'm used to -- I have broad shoulders. I've been called everything. There's nothing I can't think of that I haven't been called.
INGRAHAM: And Hannity, that's just by me.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: And frankly, I -- it doesn't even bother me. If people ask me, Does this bother you, I'm, like, No. Maybe it should. Maybe I have a missing chip. I should bother me. But this is more serious. Every minute of your talk show, every minute you're on this show, every day, they're hoping you say something wrong, and then they can boycott you, shut you down, silence you and end your ability to give opinions. That's media fascism. That is bias.
INGRAHAM: I'm so glad that you've raised this issue, Sean. We're seeing this outbreak of liberal fascism. You know, Jonah Goldberg wrote that book back in, I think 2013...
HANNITY: It was a great book. I got to give him credit. It was, you know, so good.
INGRAHAM: Oh, my gosh! You know, we didn't agree with...
HANNITY: Maybe I should have given him attribution last night. All right...
INGRAHAM: I know, but...
HANNITY: ... Jonah Goldberg gets it. Well deserved.
INGRAHAM: All right, but he wrote this book about how the history of the Nationalist Socialist Party was a history that was rife with intolerance of different viewpoints. It was also for big government programs. And he wasn't saying that it was exactly the same as liberal intolerance today, but you could really follow along the continuum of intolerance in general.
So when they say that, Well, talk radio hosts are this or that or you're fascists -- no, no, no. The true fascists who are operating today in this country are of a different variety than the old fascists of Mussolini's day. They're the people who want to shut down debate on college campuses, like Berkeley, what they're doing to Coulter, what they've done to Milo, others. They're targeting people like you, talk radio shows.
If they can put us out of business -- and that's their ultimate goal -- then they won't have to bother having a substantive debate on issues of policy that are important to the country because they're fresh out of ideas. They have no arguments. They have no ideas. All they have is the same Alinskyite playbook that, frankly, Barack Obama read from for eight years. And all of his acolytes continue to read from in the days that we're seeing now.
And so I'm so glad you're on this issue. I'm so glad you're fighting back against this. We all need to band together. And I don't care if you hate talk radio, like talk radio. I stand for everybody's right to have their views and opinions heard. Try to keep it, you know...
HANNITY: Well, that's the key here...
INGRAHAM: ... not profane, but I respect people's right to speak out. We can disagree, but I would never shut down someone's right to speak in a public forum or on a college campus. That's just so weak and lame.
HANNITY: It's so pathetic. You know, and here's the sinister and dangerous part of this. This is now well organized and it's well funded.
INGRAHAM: Yes.
HANNITY: I mean, do you think that -- what a loser, that they sit in their basement three hours a day monitoring every word you say on your radio show. By the way, and me, too.
INGRAHAM: Right.
HANNITY: Get a life. Grow up. That's why I would never support never support boycotts because really, it's just a roundabout way of silencing opposition.
I'll tell you a quick story. So a friend of ours, mutual friend -- I'll tell you off air -- going into the White House, I sent them an e-mail. I said, Please, no going in. They want this president impeached, handcuffed, mug shot, perp walk, put in jail. They will stop at nothing to destroy him. But in the process, they're going to have as much collateral damage - - as a matter of fact, the more the merrier -- of anybody around him. And I advised this person, get a lawyer, understand all ethics rules, dot every I, cross every T because they will attack. I think I've been proven right and I'm not paranoid.
INGRAHAM: No, it's a sad fact. I mean, when you go to work for an administration that is under the microscope to the extent that this one is, and everyone should be held to account and everybody should be held to, you know, the top ethical standards -- I completely am in favor of that. But what we're seeing today is a pack and a herd mentality to try to chew him up and spit him out and say, See? We were right.
And so yes, everybody who ends up in the administration at some point, if you're at a high level, you have to think about lawyering up because, you know, everything you say could be taken out of context, sliced, diced, used against you.
And the goal here, Sean, is to intimidate. It is a noxious goal that the left has. They want to intimidate and silence good people from speaking out, speaking their mind. They do it at the local level and school systems. They do it even in sports. They do it in -- they do it at every level of -- of corporate America today. They are trying to intimidate people from actually speaking their mind on subjects that are important.
And I say the more the merrier for different points of view, and let everyone have a fine, zesty debate. And then -- you know, then let the chips fall where they may. That's the way America is supposed to work.
HANNITY: All right, Laura, great points, as always. All right, we'll come back. We'll have more with Laura Ingraham after the break.
Coming up next...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We definitely desperately need the wall. And we're to have the wall built. I mean, I don't know what people are talking. I watch these shows and the pundits in the morning. They don't know what they're talking about. The wall gets built.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, the president puts the liberal spin to rest. He says the border wall will be built. Now, this as a federal judge blocks his executive order that targets sanctuary cities. Laura will weigh in.
And also tonight...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, POLITICAL AD)
RACHEL MADDOW, MSNBC: And so you would do your best to hold the seat open.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, D-N.Y.: Absolutely.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN, D-MASS.: We are the party of opposition, and that is our job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Tomorrow, President Trump's 100 days in office. The RNC is highlighting the unprecedented opposition from Democrats. We'll play the ad. We'll get reaction. Kellyanne Conway is here tonight.
And later, Ivanka Trump speaks up at a women's forum in Germany earlier today. She gets booed and hissed at. Well, the liberal fascists seem to know no bounds. That's as we continue tonight on "Hannity."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The wall's going to get built, folks. Just in case anybody has any questions, the wall is going to get built and the wall is going to stop drugs and it's going to a lot of people from coming that shouldn't be here. And it's going to have a huge effect on human trafficking, which is a tremendous problem in this world, a problem that nobody talks about but it's a problem that's probably worse than any time in the history of this world, human trafficking, what's going on.
The wall is going to get built. We definitely desperately need the wall. And we're to have the wall built. I mean, I don't know what people are talking. I watch these shows and the pundits in the morning. They don't know what they're talking about. The wall gets built, 100 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: By the way, we have the lowest illegal immigration rate in 17 years because this president is actually enforcing the laws. Now, that was the president earlier today saying, Yes, the border wall will be built. And earlier today, a federal judge -- shocking! -- in San Francisco blocked the president's executive order to withhold money to sanctuary cities.
We continue with the editor-in-chief of Lifezette, nationally syndicated radio host, Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham.
You know, I'm going to go through the list of accomplishments of the president in the next segment here. And I guess what's so interesting about this is, all right, so we have a continuing resolution. Democrats threaten to shut down the government on Friday or Saturday. The president says, All right, I'll take funding for the wall off the table. And everyone's, like, He's given up on the wall. No, he hasn't!
INGRAHAM: Well, I think that -- one thing I know for sure, Sean, is that we have way too many people on Capitol Hill who aren't on the president's side on this issue. And I'm talking Republicans. So I have no doubt in my mind that Donald Trump wants this wall to be built. Congress has to appropriate the money.
I heard over two months ago that GOP leadership -- the most senior senators on Capitol Hill, and I heard it from someone who was in the room with them -- they were laughing at the idea that a wall would ever get built, out loud laughing, basically telling this source of mine, Don't worry about that. It's never going to happen.
So they're actively working against the goal of this president. That was, I think, among his most popular pledges to the country. He pledged this over and over and over again to raucous applause. And that, the trade issues that he's being -- really aggressively pursuing, which I'm so happy about -- he -- his -- his agenda should be supported by the Republicans on Capitol Hill. They couldn't find a billion dollars to put...
HANNITY: To start the wall.
INGRAHAM: ... down a down payment? That's ridiculous!
HANNITY: Because, you know, it's funny. Obama's president, they're afraid Obama will blame will blame them for shutting down the government. Now Trump's president, they're still afraid of their own shadow.
INGRAHAM: Right.
HANNITY: And I'll get to that in a second here. To me, though -- and I was glad to hear the president so adamantly say, We're building the wall...
INGRAHAM: Yes.
HANNITY: ... because if he doesn't fulfill that promise, I think that would be the equivalent of...
INGRAHAM: It's a killer.
HANNITY: ... George Herbert Walker Bush, "Read my lips, no more taxes"...
INGRAHAM: No, they'll kill him with that. They'll kill him with that. The Democrats will kill him with it and a Republican challenger who -- you know, if someone ever primaries Donald Trump...
HANNITY: Paul Ryan maybe?
INGRAHAM: ... it'll be a -- it'll -- I'm telling you, the Republican leadership...
HANNITY: It took you a second. Well, you caught...
INGRAHAM: ... they don't want this wall to be built, period.
HANNITY: I agree. Now that brings me to my next criticism, and that is, OK, they wanted the House in 2010, the Senate in 2014.
INGRAHAM: Oh, yes.
HANNITY: They were not prepared when Donald Trump won. And how they didn't have a health care bill -- now, my understanding is they now have one. Thankfully, the Freedom Caucus, the Tuesday Group, the Saturday drinking group, the moderate caucus, the study group -- they all came together that we finally -- looks like we have a deal. And the president will sign it, then they'll send it to the Senate. But the fact that they weren't prepared really annoys me.
INGRAHAM: It's embarrassing.
HANNITY: It's embarrassing.
INGRAHAM: I mean, it's -- it's -- I mean, there is no way to spin this. And Democrats, I think, you know, are levying (ph) a lot of unfair criticism against Republicans. And that's just the way the game is played. But this one is frankly a fair criticism.
Eight years later, and the Republicans are still, you know, messing around with the provisions and trying to figure it out. It just -- it looks juvenile. I'm sorry, it just -- it looks like total Mickey Mouse Club stuff. And Paul Ryan -- you know, I like Paul Ryan. I like all these people personally. But you're supposed to be this big legislative genius. You're supposed to know your caucus. And then push comes to shove...
HANNITY: Laura, he never showed anybody the bill. He never built any...
INGRAHAM: Well, why do you think that is?
HANNITY: ... consensus on the bill.
INGRAHAM: Yes.
HANNITY: And then he's shocked, Oh, I can't get the bill passed. It's beyond frustrating. And this bill, frankly, could have been better in its original rollout.
INGRAHAM: Right.
HANNITY: Why didn't he bring caucus members in? Why didn't he bring Tuesday Group, study group people into the process?
INGRAHAM: It was a cram-down. Because it was a cram-down. They wanted to cram it down and wanted to put so much pressure on these Freedom Caucus members that -- brought to bear on them that they'd, you know, quake in their boots and quiver and say, Oh, God, we'll do anything! And they didn't realize that they were up against...
HANNITY: And then Mark Meadows has to fix the mess. Do you...
INGRAHAM: Well...
HANNITY: Is this now going to be the future? Are they going to do this on the budget tomorrow? They going to do this on every other agenda item?
INGRAHAM: Well, I think unless Donald Trump really personally gets involved to even a greater extent than he's already been involved, I think this will continue. I think they've got to get them normal course budgeting, each department. This is how much you get for defense, this is how much you get for energy, you don't get a penny more. Each department should have its budget, each budget voted on, and that is it.
This continuing resolution, brinksmanship...
HANNITY: Agreed.
INGRAHAM: ... with a government shutdown is another embarrassing point of government for the United States of America. And the Republicans have no one to blame right now but themselves for it.
HANNITY: All right. Laura Ingraham, as always, thank you for being with us.
INGRAHAM: Great to see you.
HANNITY: Appreciate it.
All right, coming up on this busy news night, this busy news week, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway joins us next to weigh in on President Trump's first 100 days in office and his accomplishments.
Also tonight...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, POLITICAL AD)
MADDOW: And so you would do your best to hold the seat open.
SCHUMER: Absolutely.
WARREN: We are the party of opposition, and that is our job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: You're going to love this tape, the RNC highlighting the disturbing first 100 days of Democratic obstruction.
And then later, Ivanka Trump participates in a women's forum in Berlin earlier today. She talks about her father, she gets booed and hissed at. We'll talk to Ari Fleischer, Lisa Boothe. And also, we'll get into the issue of liberal fascism in general and my reaction to the left rushing to judgment about false accusations on me. That's coming up straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity." Now, since being sworn in as commander-in-chief, President Trump has been checking off promises off the list that he has. Just take a look at the side of your screen. We're listing everything President Trump has accomplished so far in his first 100 days.
It appears he has no plans of slowing down. Tomorrow, we're expecting to learn a lot more about the president's tax reform plan and how to grow the economy. But despite the president moving at lightning speed, Democrats -- they've done nothing but oppose him at every turn.
The RNC earlier today put out an ad about Democratic obstruction. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, POLITICAL AD)
MADDOW: And so you would do your best to hold the seat open.
SCHUMER: Absolutely.
WARREN: We are the party of opposition, and that is our job.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did not hear better ideas coming out of the Democrats. They were just delaying and they were saying this is just wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You would not sit down with President-elect Trump if he invited you to the White House?
REP. MAXINE WATERS, D-MO.: Oh, no. I won't go. I'm not going to sit down with him. I'm not going to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What could you work with on -- with the -- President Trump?
REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-CALIF.: Well, first of all, we're not working with anybody who says they're going to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
GRAPHIC: Not working with anyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Now, earlier, I spoke with the counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANNITY: All right, Kellyanne, great to see you. Can you believe 100 days? I'm sure it was just -- you got a lot of sleep in the last 100 days. You're relaxed, piece of cake. You're kicking up your feet. You know, it's 5:00 o'clock in the afternoon, right?
KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: Every moment has been worth it, Sean. This is high-energy, high-impact President Trump. And he's had a great record of accomplishments in the first 100 days, and so much of it's a down payment of progress for the next 100 and 1,000 days or so.
But it's just remarkable to see things that don't get a lot of coverage, the 30 executive orders, the 28 or so pieces of legislation, the 13 congressional review acts. I mean, that is a great example of him just getting the government out of our lives. It's so intrusive, invasive, expensive and expansive.
HANNITY: You know...
CONWAY: And him, you know, upending these congressional review acts where I think President George W. Bush had done one and President Trump Obama zero. He's done 13.
HANNITY: Let me put up on the side of the screen -- and you know, first of all, Neil Gorsuch was a huge promise. He was on the list, originalist to the Supreme Court. I think you can't doubt that's a huge promise kept.
You know, the fact that the president worked the phones on all of these corporations -- Chrysler Fiat, Ford, GM, Carrier, you know, and so many others, and promising to invest so much in the country, you know, getting rid of these regulations, especially as it relates to coal and ending the war on coal, a 60 percent reduction, illegal immigration, because we're now enforcing the laws, fighting against sanctuary cities, build -- you know, moving forward with the border wall.
We saw what he did in Syria, the mother of all bombs, the lobbying ban, sanctioning Iran, sanctioning Syria, all of -- and then setting the table for all these things. The media, if you listen to them, it's like he hasn't done anything in 100 days.
CONWAY: That's why so my people aren't listening to that. They are really judging him based on what they see. And they see constant action. They see constant moves towards progress in keeping those campaign promises and doing the right thing. He has also been incredibly responsive as commander-in-chief to events and circumstances that he did not start but his response has been swift and resolute and decisive and that as a leader.
The other thing I would point out is that when you think at his first 100 days, if you think about it, it is three big categories -- prosperity -- he has done so many things, Sean. You just reviewed some of them. And he is about to do some more with tax reform and the like that helps the job creators, the jobseekers, and also the job holders. The vast majority of American households are job holders. And they are saying when did the job no longer be enough for me to support my family? And they realize it's the regulation, it's the taxation, it's all the hidden fees, it's the government thinking that it knows best.
Secondly, safety and security. Everything from illegal border crossing down to a 17 year low, as you said. The enhancement of tools and resources to our brave men and women at the border in our law enforcement, in our communities. What he has done to the veterans, just last week signing into the law the Veteran's Choice Act where veterans who can't get care at the VA at a particular time can go to the private sector and access care. They will have better portals, safety and security, not just at the border but also in our communities.
And then thirdly, of course, accountability. He came to a town that is a big swamp, and it's a swamp that worked for itself, these lobbying bans, the transparency and accountability that he has put forth and made good on is really remarkable for Americans.
HANNITY: I would add one other thing that probably nobody predicted. There seems to be a real thawing in America's relationship with China as they send coal back to North Korea, put troops on the border of North Korea, opening up the possibility of new trade deals with America more favorable, obviously to us. Then you have got the Saudi crown prince. You've got King Abdullah. You've President el-Sisi. You've got Prime Minister Netanyahu, a new alliance is emerging there. That shows promise.
And I watch the Democrats. You just saw them. They have no solutions for all the people in poverty, on food stamps and out of work and can't own a home, not whatsoever. They won't work with the president in any way, shape, matter, or form.
And my only frustration at this point is with the Republicans in congress. The president is doing everything he can in my opinion. And these guys wanted the House, Senate, the presidency. They have it and they weren't ready for repealing and replacing Obamacare. That's frustrating for me.
CONWAY: So it is the first 100 days that Congress and the White House will continue to work together on health care reform.
HANNITY: You are being nicer than me.
CONWAY: But hold on. I also just want to give a shout out to something that happened here today. The president three weeks ago or so, Sean, he started this commission on opioids and drug addiction. And he put Governor Christie of New Jersey as the chairman. And Jared Kushner, his office of American innovation, works very hard on this issue as well. But just here today at the White House we had bipartisan House and Senate members come in and discuss best practices, how to move forward for treatment and addiction prevention.
HANNITY: I know it means a lot to you.
CONWAY: It is not just me. It's the country. It's the leading cause of accidental death. And I'm just using it as an example of something that flies under the radar for now when people are just quietly doing their work. But to have these Democratic and Republican Senators and House members here to work on something that is nonpartisan issue with a bipartisan solution.
On health care, I'm glad Congress has been working hard during the recess to come up with a better plan and one that will reduce premiums and one that truly repeals and replaces Obamacare that the White House can support as well. I think that is fantastic. Tax reform, you have Secretary Mnuchin and Ross and Gary Cohn and others working really hard on tax reform with the president and vice president. All these things will happen in the next few months. And they are happening at a breakneck pace. And I think that's difficult for some people to digest. People pretend they like change and revolution, but when they get it, it's very difficult for some people to abide.
HANNITY: Congress needs to wake up and move faster. They seemed ill- prepared for the moment, but that's my view. Kellyanne, good to see you.
CONWAY: I was slightly jealous of their two-week recess, I will tell you that.
HANNITY: What? Oh, yes, really. I would love to weeks off, too. Isn't that great? See you later.
CONWAY: Take care.
HANNITY: All right, Kellyanne.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HANNITY: Coming up, the alt radical left has hit a new low now going after Ivanka Trump. She gets booed and heckled during a women's summit in Germany. Lisa Booth, Ari Fleischer have reaction. And also tonight --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE MNUCHIN, TREASURY SECRETARY: Simplification, the average American should be able to do their taxes on a large postcard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Ahead of tomorrow's big announcement, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin previews the president's tax reform plan. It reportedly contains a massive corporate rate cut and a middle-class tax cut. Herman Cain, Melissa Francis will weigh in. That and more on this busy news night, on this busy news week on "Hannity."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." So the alt-radical left, they continue to go on to the attack. And they're not turning their attention once again to the president's children. Earlier today Ivanka Trump was in Germany for a women's summit. During a panel discussion she got a very hostile reception from the audience. Now, the microphones didn't pick it up, but news outlets are reporting when Ivanka praised her father for his advocacy on behalf of families, Ivanka was booed and even hissed at. Really? Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IVANKA TRUMP, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: That is something I'm very, very proud of, my father's advocacy. Long before he came into the presidency, but during the campaign including in the primaries, he has been a tremendous champion of supporting families and enabling them to thrive. In the new reality of --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You hear the reaction from the audience?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Pretty unbelievable. These liberal fascists, they keep stooping to new lows. And you wouldn't how many people rush to judgment about me this weekend. By the way, all the media had to do was Google and they would have learned a lot of facts that they didn't report.
Here with reaction, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer and Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe. Ari, you kind of experienced a lot of hostility towards President Bush. Bush derangement syndrome was real. I don't remember Laura Bush being attacked like Melania. I don't remember President Bush's daughters being attacked, like Barron Trump, a 10-year-old kid. Now they're picking on his daughter. I know Eric and Don Jr. can handle it. But then every cabinet official, everybody that works in the West, Steve Bannon, Reince Priebus, Steve Miller, Kellyanne Conway, and anybody in the media like me or any conservative that supports the president viciously attacked. Is this worse than what you have lived through?
AIR FLEISCHER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: By far, Sean. And add Sarah Palin to that mix. Remember how they went after her children too.
I think number one it was very gracious of Ivanka to go. She did it for good relations, to help the chancellor of Germany, who asked her to go. And I thought Ivanka performed very able on stage and was a fine representative of our country. And the point she was making was how Donald Trump promoted women and treated women as equals in the construction trades in the business of New York City real estate, a rough, tough business. And everybody knew if you were a woman in the Trump organization, you could rise to the top through merit. That's the point she was making, and she was booed. It really tells you just how much people don't like Donald Trump and are not willing to even listen or give him a chance.
HANNITY: Lisa, look, I know we were very critical of Obama. I never went after his daughters. I did talk about his wife saying "For the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country," which I found outrageous, but I can't really think of anything personal. This is different. A 10-year-old kid viciously attacked, the daughter of the president, the wife of the president.
LISA BOOTHE, COLUMNIST, WASHINGTON EXAMINER: And mind you, Ivanka Trump is an accomplished businesswoman in her own right. But you're absolutely right, Sean, the left has become unhinged under President Trump, and I think a large part of that is the fact that he has a disrupter. He has talked about bringing change to Washington, D.C. He has not been afraid to take on his political opponents both internationally and here domestically. And that has not been met favorably particularly by the left.
But we have seen this sort of ramped up vitriol and demagoguery from them, as you pointed out, attacking Ivanka Trump, attacking his sons, attacking the administration, attacking everything. And also not only to that, also violence we have seen. Remember on inauguration day, Sean, you were here in D.C., cars were set on fire. Businesses were destroyed. Police officers were attacked. And not to mention as well the fact that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was stopped from entering a public building. So I think the left has big problems on their hands with the escalation and shutting down of ideas they disagree with. And it is sort of this ramped up violence and rhetoric as well.
HANNITY: There is also what I experience and every conservative radio host experiences and what I think a lot of the attacks on Fox News are about, they want to silence opposition voices. They're not living up to their free speech proclamations, Ari.
And my point is, when people are paid to monitor every word I say when I am on the air four hours a day in the hopes that they can start a boycott and take me out, that is a little scary.
FLEISCHER: Well, Sean, I think you don't have anything to worry about in that regard. I think you just keep doing your job and the public responds in a way a free market should. And that is why your show is as popular as it is.
But what it comes down to, I've asked myself, why do the leftists do this? I think to them the government is the be all and end all. Without government people can't advance. Without government there is no justice. Without government there is no society. As opposed to saying without the private sector, there is no government. Without the private sector people don't advance.
So if is the be all and end all and they see conservatives who want to reward individualism, they must stop it. And they resort to nothing to stop it because the consequences to them are so high. If Republicans lose and election, we lose an election. But so long as the private sector is larger and more important in America, we are going to be fine. For the Democrats, they cannot lose elections because that's the only way for America to be great. And Donald Trump is a threat to that.
HANNITY: All right, guys, good to see you both, appreciate it.
BOOTHE: Thank you, Sean.
HANNITY: And coming up next, President Trump is slated to unveil his tax reform plan tomorrow. It's being reported that he'll basically cut the corporate tax rate, middle tax cuts, as well. Herman Cain, Melissa Francis will join us as with reaction as we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MNUCHIN: We have been clear with the president's objectives are for tax reform. Middle income tax cuts, a priority of the president's. Simplification -- the average American should be able to do their taxes on a large postcard. Business tax reform, we need to make business taxes competitive and we expect with doing that we will bring back trillions of dollars from offshore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: That was Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin yesterday giving a preview of how President Trump plans to overhaul and simplify America's tax system. Earlier today Mnuchin and other top officials met with the president to discuss his bold tax plan which according to sources inside the White House cuts the corporate tax to 15 percent. Here with reaction, former presidential candidate, Fox News contributor Herman Cain, and our friend, Melissa Francis. Her brand-new book, "Lessons." Look at that cover.
MELISSA FRANCIS, "LESSONS FROM THE PRAIRIE" AUTHOR: Buy it, please!
HANNITY: "From the Prarie, The Surprising Secrets to Happiness, Success, and Sometimes Survival I've Learned on America's Favorite Show." All right, let me start with, you cover the economy every day.
FRANCIS: Yes.
HANNITY: OK, seven brackets to three, 15 percent corporate rate, and it might be a little higher depending on where it comes out budget wise, revenue neutral. Then of course we have repatriation of money, middle class tax cuts. Then we've got energy independence. To me this is the formula for economic growth, success, and bringing those people jobs, out of poverty and off of food stamps.
FRANCIS: Amen. I mean, Halleluiah. No, absolutely. It's a great idea that 15 percent tax cuts, that's going to be the thing, Democrats are going to pounce on that and say, oh, you're giving all your buddies tax cuts. No, the truth is, when you cut corporate taxes, it instantly frees up money for those companies to go out and hire more people. They can lower the prices of the goods that we are buying here. It unleashes American economy and prosperity. It's a great thing to do.
The problem with simplifying the tax code, though, is they are going to take away everybody's favorite tax cut. So everyone is going to have an objection to what is the thing in there that you care about? I care about the deduction for state and local taxes because I live in New York. That goes away, my taxes go up. So when you simplify it, there are going to be little things in there that you are used to getting.
HANNITY: Are they killing the estate tax for one. That is double taxation.
FRANCIS: See, you've got your thing.
HANNITY: Imagine you pay your whole like 50 percent of your taxes, then you die and they take another 50 percent.
FRANCIS: I think the postcard idea is great. Make it that simple, drive H&R Block out of business. But there are going to be surprises in there for people when they go, wait a second, I was used to that deduction you don't get anymore. But it's great for the economy. It's great policy. It is why Trump was elected.
HANNITY: Herman, it is not quite nine-nine-nine, which, you know, I don't mean this in a bad way. On Herman Cain's headstone 100 years from now, it is going to say Herman Cain, nine-nine-nine.
HERMAN CAIN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes.
HANNITY: And everybody remembered it because it was simple. But in the last eight years, we have another 13 million Americans on food stamps, 8 million Americans more in poverty, the lowest labor participation rate since the '70s, lowest home owner rate in 51 years. People are suffering. What is the quickest way to help these people? Do you like this plan?
CAIN: First of all, Melissa, I'm going to buy your book.
FRANCIS: Oh, good.
CAIN: Let's get that off the table, all right.
(LAUGHTER)
CAIN: I love this plan, but I agree with everything Melissa said because she is exactly right on. Here is the challenge, Sean. The Democrats have gone beyond demagoguing whatever he puts on the table. They are going to lie about it. Most Americans don't go back and look at what happened in the decade of the '80s which proves that tax cuts work, that simplification works. They are not going to look at it.
So the Democrats are going to do what they usually do. They are not going to be demagogue it. They are going to live and they're going to find something in President Trump's proposal where they can claim poor people are going to be heard and rich people are going to be helped. That is going to be the biggest challenged, because they have got the liberal media on their side.
HANNITY: Which is why they would love to kill off Fox News. But that's to be anticipated. I don't think, if Trump gave every American $1 million, why isn't it $1,000,001? Nothing he's going to do or say that's going to get Democrats on board.
FRANCIS: No, there is absolutely nothing, and there is nothing he is going to do to get the media on his side as well. I have worked at other networks. I talk about it in the book. I'm going to plug it a little bit here. The idea that everybody has an opinion, everybody has a point of view. They are not honest about it like you are. They don't come out and say where they come from. Instead they pretend like they are neutral and sit there and bash the plan and bash the president.
You know what, if you are neutral, you are not engaged or paying attention. How can you possibly not have an opinion on what is going on?
HANNITY: So well said.
FRANCIS: And I wouldn't trust you anyway. The American public, they know the difference. That is why Trump was elected. They know the difference when they're watching news as well.
HANNITY: I agree. That was my argument with Ted Koppel. People are intelligent. Give them the benefit of the doubt.
Herman, anything you can add to this? I know you've always been a big supporter, as I am really, too, of the fair tax.
CAIN: Yes. I love the fair tax. I even love the flat tax. And of course I love nine-nine-nine.
I suspect that this president is taking this step because he knows that the American people as well as the liberal media and the media aren't going to be ready for a bold step. This is pretty bold. But it would be even bolder to totally go to one of those other plans.
Here is what is going to get to his proposal across the finish line. The American people are going to have to let their congress people and their senators know that they support this plan. They need to hear from the American people about this plan. That would put pressure on squishy Republicans. It's not going to change a lot of Democrats, but it would put pressure on squishy Republicans to go along with this plan so they can pass it in the House and the Senate and he can sign it. That is going to be the difference.
HANNITY: When we come back, we have a very important "Question of the Day," and yes, the "Hannity" voicemails on the "Hannity" hotline straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Time for our "Question of the Day." So do you think the mainstream media is trying to destroy Trump's presidency? I think it's pretty obvious, actually. Go to Facebook.com/SeanHannity, @SeanHannity on Twitter, let us know what you think.
Now it's time to play some of the messages you have left for me. Hit me with your best shot on the "Hannity" hotline.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE: We're all behind you over here. We love your show, can't get enough of you. Listen to you on the radio and at night watch you on the show. A day without Hannity is like a day without sunshine. More hope for the people on the right. Thanks.
GLORIA: You are a terrific person and I do not believe anything they say and I am so happy that you are fighting back. God bless you. God bless you and keep up the good work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: I'll take one night without the negative, one night. That actually was pretty heart-warming. Thanks to all of you for your kind words, your support, and, more importantly, just open-mindedness and fairness to see facts for what they are. It means a lot.
Now, want to call me, mean, nice, yes, we'll put mean on, 877-225-8587. That's all the time we have left this evening. Set your DVR, please don't miss an episode. We'll see you back here tomorrow night.
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