Rick Perry blasts Donald Trump's 'offensive' McCain remark

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Rick Perry blasts Donald Trump's 'offensive' McCain remark

GOP presidential candidate sounds off about the controversial rhetoric on 'Hannity'

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," July 20, 2015. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN HANNITY, HOST (voice-over): Tonight...

DONALD TRUMP, R-N.Y., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK? I hate to tell you.

(LAUGHTER)

FRANK LUNTZ, GOP POLLSTER: Do you agree with that?

TRUMP: He's a war hero because he was captured, OK? And I believe perhaps he's a war hero.

HANNITY: 2016 GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump under attack for his comments about Senator John McCain.

RICK PERRY, R-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This time, he's been able to offend one of the most beloved groups in America, and that's our veterans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump can't be edited. He can't be censored. And that's why a number of Americans like him.

HANNITY: Then pollster Frank Luntz is here to explain how voters are reacting to the latest Trump controversy and the forum that he hosted.

Plus, hear from the mother of Chattanooga shooting victim Lance Corporal Skip Wells.

All of that, and Ann Coulter is here. "Hannity" starts right here, right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANNITY: And welcome to "Hannity." Donald Trump is in hot water tonight and facing sharp criticism from both sides of the aisle all after making some comments about Senator John McCain and his record as a war hero. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Somebody should run against John McCain who has been, you know, in my opinion, not so hot. And I supported him. I supported him for president. I raised a million dollars for him. That's a lot of money. I supported him. He lost. He let us down. But you know, he lost. So I never liked him as much after that because I don't like losers.

(AUDIO GAP)

TRUMP: He's not a war hero.

LUNTZ: He's a war hero.

TRUMP: He's a war hero...

LUNTZ: Five-and-a-half years as...

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK? I hate to tell you.

(LAUGHTER)

LUNTZ: Do you agree with that?

TRUMP: He's a war hero because he was captured, OK? You can have -- and I believe perhaps he's a war hero.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, earlier today, Senator McCain, who did spend five years as a POW in a Hanoi prison after his plane was shot down during a mission in the Vietnam war -- he responded to Trump's remarks. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ.: I think he may owe an apology to the families of those who have sacrificed in conflict and those who have undergone the prison experience in serving their country. When Mr. Trump said that he prefers to be with people who were not captured -- well, the great honor of my life was to serve in the company of heroes. Again, what I think he should do is apologize to the families and those who have served.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Donald Trump said he's not apologizing, and now some of his fellow GOP presidential candidates are calling for Trump to step out of the race, including my next guest. Joining us now, 2016 Republican presidential candidate, former governor of the great state of Texas Rick Perry is with us.

Governor, you were even on Saturday almost immediately angry, demanding an apology. But you're saying he has no right even to be in the race?

PERRY: Well, I heard two things on that stage that were just stunning to me. One was this attack of John McCain, who is a legitimate American hero. Anyone who has any sensibilities understands that.

The other thing I heard him say was that he's never asked God for forgiveness. And I think we got to see really deeply into the psyche of Donald Trump.

But I want to go back to this issue about saying that John McCain is not a war hero and that he doesn't like to be around people who were captured. That is offensive. I mean, it's past offensive, Sean, to those of us who have worn the uniform of this country. Sam Johnson, who I served in the Texas legislature with, spent over seven years in that POW camp.

To offend those individuals -- but to offend their families and to offend those that went through this period of time, it's just -- from my perspective, Donald Trump does not have the character, nor does he have the temperament to be the commander-in-chief of our military forces. I'm just stunned...

HANNITY: Why do you think that he would say that?

PERRY: And I've called for him -- he needs to -- if he cannot look John McCain in the face or at least pick up the phone and be a gentleman enough to say, You know what? I misspoke. I offended you and I offended a lot of people who have given up to and including their lives, and I want to apologize -- if he can't do that, he does not deserve to stay on and be in the election to be president of the United States.

HANNITY: His camp will tell you -- be I spoke with them today -- that he did four times say he's a hero. The one that made me cringe or the line that made me cringe is when he said, like -- I like people who weren't captured, which kind of insinuates, Oh, what, he wanted to get captured? I think -- I think -- that's between him and John McCain, as far as I'm concerned.

Here's my question, though. You say if -- why do you think he is resonating? Why do you think he's now number one in the polls? What is it about his style and the things he's saying that have caught the country's attention?

PERRY: Well, early on in political campaigns -- and I can go back to governor's races across the country, Senate races, presidential races, where someone caught the attention of the American people. And I will suggest to you that anybody that hangs their hat on early horse-race polls are making a huge error.

I don't think Donald Trump is going to be the nominee for the Republican Party, for one thing. And secondly, at this particular early stage in a campaign, nobody is -- nobody's betting on a long-term horse at this particular point in time, would be my response.

HANNITY: Well, listen, if I was going to advise Donald Trump, I think I'd probably agree with you. I think -- especially the line about, I like people who weren't captured. I think I would have apologized for that line and maybe make the call to John McCain, as you said. He's not going to listen to me.

But the point is, the issue of borders is resonating. And I would even argue that his arguments this morning and his arguments since this all went down is, we treat veterans horribly in this country. If he would have just stayed on substance, we wouldn't be talking about this today, right?

PERRY: Sean, being a disciplined candidate is really important. And that is, I think, what his challenge is going to be. I mean, what's he going to say next?

But I want to go back to the border. There's nobody -- and you've been there. You've been in the border with me. Nobody has had more experience of dealing with that border, knows how to secure that border than I do and what we did in the state of Texas last summer. You were there. You saw it, 74 percent decrease in the apprehensions.

We just don't have a president of the United States today that I think has the will to secure the border because it can be done. You put personnel on that border, you have the strategic fencing in place and you use those aviation assets from Tijuana down to Brownsville 24/7, you can secure that border.

And you can do it right now and you can do it without building a wall that -- frankly, that's good rhetoric. I understand that. But the rhetoric is not going to stand up to scrutiny.

HANNITY: I was -- I was actually...

PERRY: When's it going to get built? How long's it going to take? How much is it going to cost? Who's going to take the private property rights away from the people who own that land along there? Nobody's answered those questions.

That's rhetoric that's coming from Donald Trump, and Americans are looking for solutions, Sean. They're looking for solutions.

HANNITY: All right. I agree with that. And I think -- you know, I was down there. I sat in a briefing with you, 642,000 Texans since 2008 were victims of crime of illegal immigrants. And building a wall, combination of building a wall, surveillance, motion detectors, all of these things I think are available to us, including drones. I think all of that's true.

Going forward, Donald Trump said in this forum that he may not or won't support whoever the eventual nominee is, if it's not him. Does the Republican Party now have a Trump problem that he could be the Ross Perot of this race, just like it helped elect Bill Clinton president? Bill Clinton only got 42 percent of the vote back in 1992.

PERRY: I think Americans are going to be listening to somebody that lays out solutions for this country. If Donald Trump decides to run as a third party and he lays out solutions, then he may have an opportunity to make an impact.

But at this particular point in time, I haven't heard Donald Trump talk about one solution. He's been heavy on rhetoric, he's been heavy on offending people, but he sure hasn't been solution-oriented.

HANNITY: Do you think he's hurting...

PERRY: And we're looking for a...

HANNITY: ... the Republican Party?

PERRY: ... competent -- well, listen, he doesn't reflect the Republican Party from my position. I mean, when he said what he said about immigrants in this country and used very inflammatory language, when he said what he said about veterans in this country and people who have gotten captured -- I don't know about anybody else. I'll speak for myself. He didn't represent the Republican Party that I represent.

HANNITY: I think the one thing I think you pointed out -- the challenge -- you talked about campaign discipline. There is an art to the deal. There's an art of politics. And the question is, would he have the ability to listen to or adapt the strategies that are effective because whoever the Republican nominee is, is going to have to reach beyond the base to get elected in the end.

You sound like -- you've been willing to take on Mr. Trump probably more than your fellow 15, if you will. You think it's important. Why is there such that it's bad -- seems like there's bad blood now between the two of you. When he's on, he talks about you. You've talked about him. I did ask you questions. But there seems to be bad blood here growing.

PERRY: Well, I don't know about bad blood, but when he attacks me and the bullet goes through me and hits the Texas Rangers and hits our Texas Ranger recon teams, our Department of Public Safety and our Texas National Guard that has been deployed to that border, serving selflessly, I might add, to protect that border, and he basically says they've done a bad job, you better believe I'm going to stand up. I'm going to stand up to him, just like I would stand up to Vladimir Putin, just like I would stand up to anybody that's going to push back on America and what America's exceptionalism is.

I happen to think that Texans are pretty exceptional about the work that they've done on that border down there, and we've got data to prove up that we made that border more secure. And that's the real issue.

If Donald Trump wants to sit on the stage and talk about solutions...

HANNITY: Let me follow up...

PERRY: ... I'm going to be happy to have that conversation. But if all he's going to do is throw invectives, then I'm going to push back and I'm going to push back hard.

HANNITY: What -- because I agree with you. I think the country is dying for answers, solutions to solve the economy, balance budget, get 93 million Americans back in the labor force, 50 million back out of poverty, 46 million off of food stamps, and then deal with ISIS and Iran and Putin and China and -- and repair the damage with Israel.

How do you do it? What are your priorities if you get the nod and you win the election?

PERRY: Well, we've laid all of that out, and as we will lay it out in greater detail as we go forward. The most important thing the next president is going to do is give confidence to the American people that the best days are ahead of us, that economically, we're going to be able to take care of them and their families. And we know how to do that, and it's inextricably intertwined to our energy industry and getting our industry -- our energy going in this part of the country.

We know how to do that. You drive down the cost of electricity. You put a lot of people to work. You cut that corporate tax rate by 10 percent. And we know you'll have a mid-level wage increase of between 5 percent and 10 percent. Plus, you give incentives to those manufacturers to come back.

That's the single most important thing that we can do in this country is economically get the country back on track. Then you have the resources come in to rebuild our military.

Sean, I'm telling you, this country is only a few good decisions and a leadership change at the top from the best years it's ever had.

HANNITY: How long is that going to take? 93 million, 50 million, 46 million -- those are massive numbers! How long do you think a President Perry -- how long would it take to repair the economy?

PERRY: I think you do it substantially faster than anybody believes we can because the -- opening up the XL pipeline, North America domestic energy industry, Mexican industry of energy down there -- it will explode, and it can happen in a very short period of time.

You cut that corporate tax rate and I'll guarantee you manufacturers will come back on shore. Plus, every blue collar worker ought to be listening to what Rick Perry is talking about when he says he's going to lower the corporate tax rates because economists tell us, accountants tell us that when you cut that corporate tax rate, you'll see a 5 to 10 percent increase in the mid-level wages.

I mean, that's what has been holding this country back. People have been afraid to invest in this country. They haven't seen salaries increase. And we can do that. We can get this country back on track, and we can do it in a relatively short period of time.

HANNITY: All right, Governor. Good to see you again. Thanks so much for being with us.

PERRY: Thank you, Sean.

HANNITY: Appreciate it.

Coming up, how are potential 2016 voters reacting to Trump's controversial remarks about John McCain and prisoners of war? Frank Luntz -- he was on the stage with Donald Trump when he made those comments. He'll be here with analysis.

Later, you'll also hear from the mother of Tennessee shooting victim Lance Corporal Skip Wells.

Plus, Ann Coulter joins us on this busy night tonight on "Hannity."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." Pollster Frank Luntz was the moderator at the Family Leadership Summit over the weekend where 2016 GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump made his controversial remarks about Senator John McCain. Frank Luntz joins us now, along with Steve Hayes from The Weekly Standard, and FOX News senior correspondent Geraldo Rivera.

You know, see, Frank, this -- this goes with the territory. You create trouble everywhere you go!

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: Were you surprised when he said all that?

LUNTZ: I was not expecting it. I was focused on making sure that the audience would get to really understand what these candidates were about.

It was Trump at his Trump best. And Sean, two points. Number one, is the reason why he's doing so well is because he's unplugged. He's uncensored. And there a lot of Americans who want their politicians to tell them exactly what they think.

But the reason why Trump is so disliked is that he uses language that is absolutely unnecessary. You don't have to be so vicious. You don't have to be so negative in your attacks, that there's a proper way as president of the United States to carry yourself, and he doesn't do it. So you've got the good and the bad. And that's why he is where he is.

HANNITY: You know, I think Frank is right in a lot of ways, in this sense. I find him refreshing. I know you disagree. I think he's right on immigration in terms of illegal immigration. I also think that he's right about the atrocious treatment of our vets.

The line that made me cringe -- I like people who weren't captured. Now, wouldn't -- just from a -- if I'm a political analyst or adviser to Trump, I would have said to him, Mr. Trump, what I would do, I'd apologize for that line, say you disagree with John McCain, say that they haven't gotten the job done, say that Washington has failed our vets, stay on substance instead of getting trapped into a debate or coaxed into a debate because he called, you know, your supporters crazy.

GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEW SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: I don't disagree with anything you just said, but I believe that Donald Trump absolutely 100 percent owes an explanation to all the people who have ever been held prisoner of war. He must explain to them that this was either a bad joke that fell flat, or that he has made a mistake, a grievous mistake, and he apologizes.

HANNITY: But is he capable of that? And wouldn't it show that he could throw a -- not only a high-rising fastball, but a curveball, a slider, knuckle ball? If he would have said, I humbly apologize, what would the discussion be today?

RIVERA: I think it would be fine. But you have to understand what Frank Luntz just said about him being unfiltered -- what if the negotiation is between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin? What if he loses his temper?

You know, the stakes are so high...

(CROSSTALK)

RIVERA: ... you've got to be someone who has a sense of proportion of -- you know, everything isn't nuclear war. And I believe that -- you know, look, now he's after The Wall Street Journal. Anyone who criticizes him, he demeans them. He savages them.

I begged him to apologize on the immigration statements. It could be that he, like you and I, disagree, but we disagree in a way that is agreeable and makes sense. You don't attack the other person's character just because they have a different position than you do.

HANNITY: What do you think, Stephen Hayes? From the standpoint that word "presidential" keeps coming up. Look, I think he -- I think he'll -- he'll get out of this issue. He did call him a hero four times. He's absolutely technically correct in that. That wasn't the egregious line to me. But with that said, cumulatively, does this hurt him?

STEPHEN HAYES, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, I mean, nobody really cares what Donald Trump's opinion is of John McCain's war heroism. And that's indisputable. McCain was a war hero, period, end of discussion. I agree with you, Sean. I mean, I think the outrageous line was when he seemed to mock McCain for his own captivity.

And then -- you know, I went to the press conference after his session with Frank on stage and asked him repeatedly if he would apologize. And I asked him if he was familiar with John McCain's story, with the story of John McCain in captivity and the sacrifices that McCain made, the lengths that McCain went to in order not to give up information to the enemy and the torture that he withstood.

And Donald Trump said to me, It's irrelevant. That was his quote. So look, I think we're projecting here. We're trying to make Donald Trump into something that he's not. It's silly to have a discussion about what Donald Trump could do if Donald Trump behaved better. He's Donald Trump. He doesn't behave better. This is who he is. It's who he's always been.

HANNITY: But I'm not assuming...

HAYES: It's who he's always going to be.

HANNITY: But Steve, I'm not assuming he can't learn. There's the art of the deal, which he's very good at, and it's a whole different art than the art of politics. He's got to balance Trump being Trump and what Geraldo said. Can he also add to that the element of being presidential? And that -- if he wants to win, I would argue, he's going to have to find that fine line.

HAYES: Look, I don't think he can. I mean, there's no question he's done a good job of tapping into the anger that conservatives, many conservatives feel about Washington.

HANNITY: I feel it!

HAYES: They're justified in feeling that way. I share that anger in many cases. But at the same time, Donald Trump -- we're talking about Donald Trump as if he has ideas, as if he has beliefs. I mean, this is the same guy who is for single payer health care who called George W. Bush evil, who wants to raise taxes, who's praised Nancy Pelosi, who's given money to Hillary Clinton. And this is the guy who's going to become...

HANNITY: All right...

HAYES: ... the new voice of conservatism? That's a conservatism I want nothing to do with!

HANNITY: Frank, let me -- there was one bit of news that was made in this conference, a question that you asked Donald Trump. I'll play it here. And that was whether or not, if he loses the nomination, what he might do. Would he support the candidate that wins? Here's that answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Respectfully, we remember the 1992 election. Ross Perot cost us that election.

TRUMP: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you go on record today saying that if you can't get the Republican nomination, you will not run as a third party candidate?

TRUMP: No. No.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: No. I won't go on record as saying that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: So Frank, listening to that, I'm thinking, Whoa! Every Republican better start paying attention to that answer.

LUNTZ: That caught me totally off guard. And I don't think the media realizes what he said. This could be the beginning of Trump's independent candidacy.

And Sean, I study this. This is my profession. Donald Trump is not dropping out. He is not apologizing. He is not going to change. He is who he is, good and bad.

But I will tell you, having studied this, that it is -- that he may have already have started thinking about a third party candidacy. And if that happens, you can kiss the election good -- bye for the Republicans.

HANNITY: Geraldo...

LUNTZ: There's no way that a Trump as an independent that Republicans could win.

HANNITY: That's Ross Perot. That paves the way. Hillary Clinton or whoever the Democratic nominee is, is the next president, guaranteed.

RIVERA: Bill Clinton won with 42 percent of the vote. Let me just say that presidential aspirations aside, if Donald Trump really believes that POWs are not heroes, if he really believes that prisoners of war are not heroes...

HANNITY: Those that were captured.

RIVERA: Then this is -- wait. But in fairness to him...

(CROSSTALK)

RIVERA: This is bigger than presidential aspiration. This goes to his legacy.

HANNITY: But Sharyl Attkisson...

RIVERA: This is hurting his family and his loyal friends.

HANNITY: But Geraldo, in fairness to him, he did say four times after he made that remark, He's a hero, he's a hero, he's a hero. He did say it four times. Sharyl Attkisson is right.

(CROSSTALK)

HAYES: But he was mocking him at the time. He said it in as mocking -- in a mocking way.

HANNITY: No, I think it was more...

HAYES: He said, He's a hero because he was captured.

HANNITY: ... of an acknowledgement.

HAYES: He seemed to blame...

HANNITY: I disagree with you, Steve!

HAYES: ... McCain for his being captured. I mean, he seemed to blame McCain for being captured.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: That's the line that I thought I cringed the most on.

LUNTZ: Stephen Hayes is correct.

HANNITY: Frank, you were there. What happened?

LUNTZ: He's correct. It was done -- he was shocked that some of the audience booed at his comments, and he realized that he had to clean it up. But he never really cleaned it up. It's why we're still talking about it today. That has been the most aired segment of footage of the entire campaign. And in the end, Donald Trump is going to have to look at these men -- there are about 500 of them still alive -- look them straight in the eye and explain to them why he said what he did.

HANNITY: But wouldn't that be a moment -- I mean, Steve, you're the most critical on this panel of him. If Donald Trump said, I humbly apologize, I understand that he is a hero, I misspoke at the time -- wouldn't that show the curveball that maybe people, including yourself, weren't expecting? Wouldn't that help him? I think it would.

HAYES: Yes, no doubt. I mean, look, Sean, you know, when Frank asked him about showing humility or asking forgiveness before God, Trump, in effect, said no. So if he's not willing to do it before God, I don't think he's going to be willing to do it before the American people.

HANNITY: All right. By the way, that's -- the quote that you're referring to is Frank asked him if he had ever asked forgiveness in regard -- I'm not sure I have, was his initial answer.

What's your advice to Donald Trump?

RIVERA: I ask forgiveness of God all the time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ask every day.

RIVERA: God forgive me!

HANNITY: By the way, not as often as you, but...

(LAUGHTER)

RIVERA: You didn't have (ph) as much? Is that what you imply?

(CROSSTALK)

RIVERA: I love this guy and I love his family. And I think that he is being underrated by many people.

HANNITY: And unfairly attacked.

RIVERA: He built a lot of this town when others could not. He could be a great president. I know people laugh when I say that. He could be. But this shows an intemperance and an irrationality, a stubborn pride that is very, very...

HANNITY: Can he get out of it?

RIVERA: ... disturbing. Only if he confronts the fact that...

HANNITY: Does have that capacity?

RIVERA: ... he has really screwed up. He's got to look at a POW in the eye, and start with John McCain, and say, I am sorry.

HANNITY: All right. Thanks, all. Appreciate it.

And coming up, Ann Coulter is going to weigh in on Donald Trump's comments about Senator John McCain.

Then you will hear tonight from the mother of Chattanooga, Tennessee, shooting victim Lance Corporal Skip Wells, as we continue here on "Hannity."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." Here with more reaction to Donald Trump's comments about Senator John McCain, author of the New York Times best-seller, "Adios America: The Left's Plan to Turn our Country Into a Third World Hellhole," Ann Coulter.

Is it smart politically...

ANN COULTER, "ADIOS AMERICA" AUTHOR: Hello, Sean.

HANNITY: Is it smart politically -- I like people who weren't captured? Is that smart politically?

COULTER: No, of course. It was a flip remark. It was a mistake, and he's taken it back 20 times since then! I mean, he's...

HANNITY: No, he took back the hero part. He never took back that part.

COULTER: Right.

HANNITY: No, he said four times...

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I got that. But I'm saying...

COULTER: Hannity, you're really splitting hairs. He has made it very clear John McCain is a war hero. This is the other thing he's being attacked for. And this enormous hysteria over a flip remark by -- that was a mistake by Donald Trump -- I think it's a mistake that Jeb Bush called illegal immigration an act of love. Is he going to apologize to Kate Steinle's parents for that? That's a much bigger mistake!

HANNITY: But I want you to...

COULTER: How about giving...

HANNITY: But I want to...

COULTER: driver's licenses to 13 of the 18...

HANNITY: I understand how you feel...

COULTER: ... 9/11 hijackers?

HANNITY: ... about free speech. You've been -- I want you to...

COULTER: We had four...

HANNITY: No, no.

COULTER: ... Americans killed...

HANNITY: Ann, hang on a second. I want you to analyze this, though. If you're a Republican candidate -- I understand you want to get the Tea Party and conservatives like me and you. We're both conservative. We want the wall built yesterday. I got it. We agree veterans are treated atrociously. That's all true. Washington's broken. We agree on that.

Here's the question, though.

COULTER: (INAUDIBLE) question.

HANNITY: How does he get the people in the middle, which you're going to need if you want to be president?

COULTER: Look, the country is boiling with rage over immigration. Everyone is trying -- everyone -- all the elites are trying to destroy Donald Trump because he's injected it into the campaign now. And we're reading article after article about how, Oh, his real appeal is that he's unplugged and he's taking on the elites and it's the Tea Party and veterans' benefits.

No. I think the issue that has been very obviously at the heart of his campaign is immigration, and the rest of these Republican midgets jumping on this one flip remark, when they have said things far worse -- Rick Perry talking about how we can't build a fence because I'll show you a ladder? That's his approach to a serious issue?

The new litmus test for real conservatives is immigration. They used to say the same thing about the prolife Republicans and the pro-gun Republicans and oh, they're fringe and they're tacky and we're so embarrassed to be associated with them. Now every one of them comes along and pretends they'd be Reagan. No, they wouldn't be Reagan. No, they'd be calling the Reagan supporters fringe just the way they are with Donald Trump right now.

And it's not illegal immigration, as you keep saying. It is legal immigration. I mean, this is madness that we are bringing people in that the FBI then has to follow as they followed this Muslim who shot up four, well, now five of our brave men in uniform this week. That is a legal immigrant. The FBI is following the father. Now we're talking about how they should be able to arm themselves.

Well, no, Eduardo Sencion, a legal immigrant from Mexico, shot up three -- murdered in cold blood three National Coast Guardsman in Carson City IHOP just a few years ago. They had guns. They were allowed to defend themselves. Instead of bringing in people who are going to murder Americans and telling us to arm ourselves or if you say something see something, or having the FBI follow them, how about not bringing them in?

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: Now, Donald Trump, as we pointed out in the last segment, said at this forum over the weekend that if he doesn't win he won't support the nominee. He won't support the nominee of the party, leaving open the door he might run third party. What would your reaction be if he did that, because from my perspective, that guaranteed Hillary Clinton's president or whoever wins the Democratic nomination?

COULTER: I think I would like to know whether Rick Perry, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio will prompt not to run third party if Trump wins.

HANNITY: They all did.

COULTER: I promise you Jeb or Rubio are going to lead to a Hillary presidency or Rick Perry faster than anything Donald Trump can do.

HANNITY: That should be a clear present danger.

(CROSSTALK)

COULTER: I would like to see play Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio. I don't believe Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio and Rick Perry have said they won't run third party.

HANNITY: Actually they said it at this forum this weekend according to frank.

COULTER: I don't believe it. I would like to see it.

HANNITY: What do you think you don't believe it? This isn't NBC. Do I look like Brian Williams?

COULTER: All insults must go to Donald Trump right now because he's talking about immigration. Instead of any of these midgets figuring out that Donald Trump has struck a chord, all they want to do is leap on one flip remark he makes, one flip remark.

HANNITY: I am not disagreeing. But that said --

COULTER: Marco Rubio spent three years pushing amnesty. That's more than --

HANNITY: I'm not disagreeing.

COULTER: -- something stupid said in a moment of anger. Three years Marco Rubio pushed amnesty. I want an apology, I want "I am sorry" for that.

HANNITY: OK, I am sorry I let you rant as long as you did.

(LAUGHTER)  HANNITY: All right, Ann, thank you. Appreciate it.

Coming up, you'll hear a sad story from a mother of a Tennessee shooting victim, Lance Corporal Skip Wells, as she tries to heal from the tragic loss of her son. She'll also react to the fact that he didn't have a weapon to defend himself even though that's what he's trained to do, be a warrior.

And then later, 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate Martin O'Malley, he is forced to apologize for saying, get this, all lives matter. Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke is here with reaction.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." So as the nation recovers from last week's deadly attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the families of the victims now face the toughest journey. Lance Corporal Skip Wells from Marietta, Georgia, was one of five service members senselessly gunned down by Muhammad Youssuf Abdulazeez.

Joining us tonight is the mother of that brave marine, Cathy Wells is with us. Cathy, our thoughts, our prayers are with you. I can't imagine the pain you're going through. It's got to be really hard. I don't think there's anything worse. How are you holding up?

CATHY WELLS, MOTHER OF LANCE CORPORAL SKIP WELLS: I'm doing the best that I can. I'm surrounded by family and friends and I'm doing the best that I can.

HANNITY: When you hear, when you heard this incident happened, and then you hear, which really shocked me, that people like your son who are willing to serve this country, trained in the use of firearms, that they are forbidden from even bringing a firearm into a recruiting station that we know is being targeted by ISIS and groups like that and they're sympathizers. Does that make you more angry? How do you react to that?

WELLS: I'm going to do what my son wanted to do before this happened. He wanted a gun. And he's got several. And he wanted a certain handgun. And I'm going to fulfill that for him.

HANNITY: I'm sorry, he wanted what?

WELLS: He wanted a certain type of a handgun. And I'm going to make sure that that gets fulfilled for him.

HANNITY: In what way do you mean that, ma'am?

WELLS: I'm going to purchase one.

HANNITY: For yourself. But --

WELLS: For myself.

HANNITY: It seems to me, that we're asking these guys, we're training these guys in the use of firearms. We know they're being targeted. We know on July 4th weekend that was happening. And then we don't let them protect themselves. It's like the rules of engagement, we send men to war and they can't even defend themselves in some cases. For me that would make me angrier if it was my son, if I can dare to put myself in the position you're in now.

WELLS: I am angry, but I am -- I'm mourning the loss of my son. I am angry. But --

HANNITY: Sure.

WELLS: I'm mourning.

HANNITY: Have you heard from the president?

WELLS: No.

HANNITY: Does that surprise you?

WELLS: No.

HANNITY: The same White House that -- I didn't even see the flag at half mast, did you?

WELLS: I know that some states are doing it.

HANNITY: I'm talking about Washington.

WELLS: No.

HANNITY: Is this the same White House that after the Supreme Court decision put rainbow colors on the White House?

WELLS: You know the answer to that one.

HANNITY: Is this the same White House that put out statements about Ramadan?

WELLS: I believe so. Like -- I have really just been focused on my son. My son was taken from me, and he couldn't defend himself.

HANNITY: You know, we always -- all these brave men that are willing to sacrifice for us every day and put their lives on the line, what do you want the American people to know about your son? Is there anything you'd like to say to the president, to the president that didn't pick up a phone and call you, his commander in chief?

WELLS: My son loved what he did. He wanted from the time I can remember he wanted nothing more than to be a marine. He loved what he did. He died for his country doing what he loved for the love of his country and for his family.

HANNITY: Tell us what you would say to the president. This is the commander in chief. Statements on Ramadan, you got the White House, beautiful rainbow colors.

WELLS: I can't answer that, Sean. I can't answer that.

HANNITY: You do know --

WELLS: I can't answer that.

HANNITY: You don't want to say it on TV?

WELLS: Correct.

HANNITY: I understand.

WELLS: I mean -- no, I can't.

HANNITY: I don't want to add to your pain. I want to wish you and your family you're in our thoughts and prayers. I'm so sorry what happened to your son.

WELLS: Thank you.

HANNITY: My parents once said there's nothing worse than losing a child. Just not the way it should happen. Thank you for being here.

WELLS: It's not the way it's supposed to be. Thank you.

HANNITY: Thank you, ma'am.

Coming up, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke rips President Obama for his lack of reaction to this Chattanooga, Tennessee, shooting. Sheriff Clarke up next, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." In the wake of the shootings in Chattanooga, Tennessee, last week that took the lives of four marines and one sailor, Sheriff David Clarke spoke out against President Obama. He tweeted, quote, "Obama's shoulder shrug on these soldiers massacred in Tennessee is because none of them look like Trayvon Martin." Ouch. Here to explain Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. David, you just heard from the mother of one of these brave marines. I mean, I'm flabbergasted the commander in chief doesn't pick up a telephone and call them and say I'm sorry for your loss, thank him for the service to his nation?

SHERIFF DAVID CLARKE, MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WISCONSIN: Sean, it rips your heart out to listen to a mom like that. First of all, I want to salute the five service members who died in service to the country. And I want to salute all people serving in the armed forces of the United States to keep us safe.

Look, President Obama has failed at his most solemn duty, and that is to project the homeland and protect the American people. He's either unwilling or he's unable to do that. The day these attacks occurred he visited a federal prison, was lifting the spirits of federal prisoners.

I cannot believe -- by the way, there was a law enforcement officer injured in that attack too and I hope he's is recovering well. But I cannot believe that ISIS has been making these calls, they're inspiring home grown terrorists, they're calling on them to attack soldiers, law enforcement officers, and military installations, and they're doing it with impunity.

What we need is a moment like when George W. Bush stood on the rubble of the World Trade Centers that were taken down, and with a microphone, or megaphone, I should say, said the people who brought these buildings down are going to hear from all of us soon. We haven't heard that.

All we've gotten out of this president is the emotional, heartfelt situation with Trayvon Martin. If I had a son he would look like Trayvon Martin. I guess what the president was saying was if I had a son he wouldn't look like a military soldier or one of the people serving in the armed forces, and I think that's horrible. He has reached out to the family of Mike Brown, to the family of Freddie Gray, or had White House officials do it, I should say, and Trayvon Martin, all engaged in criminality, but yet the people defending the homeland, the law enforcement community and the United States military, he can't display that same sort of emotion. He can't pick up the phone and thank that woman, that mother for her son's service to this country.

HANNITY: He won't even say "radical Islam." I think more importantly, you saw how the White House reacted to the Supreme Court ruling, gay marriage, ut out their statement, Ramadan, congratulations. And you can't pick up a phone, one. And number two, we're not going to allow in spite of the targeting of our military personnel, they can't have a weapon at a recruiting station to defend themselves even though we know their targets? There is something really radically wrong here, sheriff.

CLARKE: Inconceivable that that would happen on the homeland, again, in the United States of America in the year of 2016. But there is something else here as well. I noticed in his statement he didn't call this a terror attack. He called it a circumstance, and he pointed out it was a lone gunman. None of that has anything -- with the counterterrorism propaganda campaign that we need to have in the United States, our intelligence community, I'd make ISIS own these attacks. And I'd hold them accountable for it. We need one of those moments where they are sent a message any American life anywhere in the world, especially here at home, is going to be met with severe consequences, and I mean severe. All we get from him are we're going to bring people to justice.

HANNITY: It's not going to happen under this president.

CLARKE: -- and other attack throughout the world.

HANNITY: Not going to happen under this president. Let me ask you something, because I like your outspokenness. You have Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland, makes a statement that black lives matter, white live lives matter, all lives matter. We'll play the remarks, and then we'll play him apologizing for saying all lives matter, and I'll get your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN O'MALLEY, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: For many years we have required -- every life matters. And that is why this issue is important. Black lives matter. White lives matter. All lives matter.

I believe what I first said was that black lives matter before those other two phrases. And when I said those other two phrases, I meant no disrespect. That was a mistake on my part, and I meant no disrespect, and I did not mean to be insensitive in anyway or to communicate that I did not understand the tremendous passion, commitment, and feeling and depth of feeling that all of us should be attaching to this issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Sheriff, I'm a Christian. I was taught that all lives matter. Was I wrong? Was I taught wrong my entire life?

CLARKE: Sean, it's embarrassing that O'Malley would sit up there and grovel over a statement that he made that was true that all lives matter. But this is what it has come to on the Democrat side of the ticket here. The tail is wagging the dog. He should have stood strong. He should have stood up and continued to say all lives matter. Instead he apologized for that. So what he basically is saying is that all lives do not matter.

HANNITY: It's nuts.

CLARKE: Exactly.

HANNITY: Sheriff, good to see you. Thank you so much for being with us. Appreciate it.

Coming up, as always, we need your help because our "Question of the Day," it's a doozy, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." Time for tonight "Question of the Day." So do you think Donald Trump should apologize for any part of his comments about Senator John McCain? Just go to Facebook.com/SeanHannity, on Twitter @SeanHannity, let us know what you think.

Quick programming note. Tune in tomorrow night, 10:00 eastern, I will be in Ohio. Governor John Kasich is set to make his big announcement about the 2016 presidential race. He will be our guest for the hour tomorrow night.

That's all the time we have left, though, this evening. Thanks for being with us. Set your DVR so you never miss an episode so we miss you when you're not there. Anyway, thanks for being with us. We'll see you back here tomorrow night.

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