Sen. Cruz praises Alan Dershowitz's 'powerful and compelling' constitutional argument

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Sen. Cruz praises Alan Dershowitz's 'powerful and compelling' constitutional argument

Texas Senator Ted Cruz weighs in on impeachment trial arguments on 'Hannity.'

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," January 28, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: All right, Tucker. Fiery speech. Welcome aboard. I want you to listen very closely to this monologue. This Schumer sham -- Schiff show, it's over. And I'm going to tell you why it's over. I listened closely to every detail of the president's defense, including the actions of quid and pro and quo Joe and zero experience Hunter and how Joe shook down the country of Ukraine. Everyone looked at what Hunter and Joe did and were doing and said don't do this. Hunter has zero experience in Ukraine. No experience in oil. No experience in gas. No experience in energy. Hunter Biden got a whopping $84,000 a month. Did you know? Pam Bondi told us the average American family of four makes less  than $54,000 in a year. Everyone knew. Everyone knows now. Everyone saw this at the time for what this was. And then you have Joe Biden. We just passed the two-year anniversary. Joe Biden on tape admitting to the shakedown. And, by the way, at a minimum, everyone sees what this is. We can identify it. We have identified several potential serious violations of the law, felony.  Look at this, on your screen. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, 15 USC 78, quote: It is illegal for a U.S. person to coerce -- you're not getting the billion unless you fire -- or influence through bribery or extortion, if you fire him, you get the billion, a foreign nation into taking action that might financially benefit that person, his family, Hunter, or business. And that's not all. Bribery, 18 USC 201c: Whoever corruptly gives offers or promises anything of value to a public official to influence an official act is guilty of bribery. You're not getting the billion unless you fire the prosecutor paying my zero experience son 83 grand a month, millions and millions of dollars. Oh, we found another law. It's called the Gratuities Act, 18 USC 201B: Giving offering, promising anything of value to a public official in exchange for any official act. Uh-oh. And the Hobbs Act, 18 USC 1951. A threat to a foreign official in order to obtain an official benefit affecting interstate, foreign commerce would constitute extortion. Now, never forget, it's the president of president of the United States' duty, his sworn duty, to faithfully execute the laws of the land. Tonight, the country now needs to make a transition. This B.S. witch hunt is over. It has to be over. The president will rightly be acquitted and vindicated for good reason and I'll explain. Go back to the Trump-Zelensky call that the president released freely. During the call, what was the president worried about? He was worried about Ukrainian corruption. He was concerned, remember Zelensky was working with some of the same bad actors in the previous Ukrainian administration, the Poroshenko administration. And he was worried Ukraine had interfered in the 2016 election separate and apart from Russian interference that Devin Nunes warned us all about in 2017. A Ukrainian court had determined government officials interfered in our election, January 2017, January 11 to be exact. Investigative report from "Politico" detailed Ukrainian interference. We have described in detail. And after, by the way, three years, never ending, nonstop, lying, hysteria about foreign election interference. It would have been a dereliction of duty, would it not, for President Trump to not rightly address the issue. Do us a favor. My country's been through all of this. Can we get to the bottom of it? He never mentioned aid or a quid or a pro or a quo like Joe. And let's not forget, on the very call in question, not a penny was ever mentioned. Now, there are weak Republicans in this country, so-called moderate Democrats in the U.S. Senate, thinking about giving validation to this Schumer-Schiff sham show with new witnesses and investigations. Well, to all of you thinking about it, you're not only ripping the country apart, you are spitting in the face of every law-abiding American, your constituent, because this president was looking out for their money. And you are also simultaneously trampling on and shredding the Constitution of the United States because of, what, a shameful political stunt because you can't wait 280 days knowing you're likely going to, well, lose in the next election? Well, how stupid and dangerous do you want to be here? Because the total B.S. surrounding Bolton is just the latest manufactured crisis.

Now, I've known John Bolton for I think two decades, thereabouts. I have a message for John Bolton tonight. He used to be a colleague here at the FOX News Channel.

I remember when John was first up for the job of national security advisor. I had heard through many sources John was calling everyone that would listen, asking them to put in a good word for him with President Trump. He wanted this job badly.

I spoke on an occasion to John Bolton, and I asked him why he wanted the job, and I also remember asking him -- well, you know, Donald Trump's foreign policy positions are very different than your foreign policy positions. Would you be willing to serve his agenda, not yours? Again, I've known him for two decades.

Now, I'm not today recognizing the guy that I thought I knew because, John Bolton, I say to you tonight, you have something to say, John, come here. You worked here. This is your old home.

Come on the show. And have your say on this show. We've invited you repeatedly, radio and TV, over the past number of weeks.

Now, nobody I think truly knows what's in his book except for whatever manuscript he might've sent to whoever has seen it. I have no idea if any of these reports are true. But let's assume for a second that they are true.

Here's the bottom line -- Jim Jordan has reminded us four facts never change. This case is over. Why? Because the Trump-Zelensky transcripts, they show zero linkage between U.S. aid and any investigation.

One fact witness in the House said when he asked the president, what do you want? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No quid, pro, or quo.

Both Trump and Zelensky, they have denied repeatedly that any aid was conditional. There was never any pressure whatsoever. Zelensky even going so far as what are you talking about, what are you doing?

At the time of the initial call, Ukrainian officials never knew that the U.S. aid was temporarily paused. And don't forget, this is critical. Even if Donald Trump may be said they'd better do this or I'm not giving them any aid, let's assume he might've even said that, doesn't matter, does it? Because the fourth fact the never changes, the aid was released in one case earlier with zero strings attached.

And that means they got the aid. They never did anything. They never said they would do anything. They never called for an investigation. They never said they would call for an investigation. And they have said all of that repeatedly.

And I add one fifth, well, if you will, fact that will never change. There were five separate subsequent high-level meetings, in the meetings with Zelensky. All those audition witnesses, hearsay, opinion witnesses, have all said the same thing. Aid was never discussed. Linkage was never brought up.

So you have here an anonymous source telling, what, a liberal hack for the liberal "The New York Times" that hates Donald Trump that John Bolton in a manuscript, well, is claiming the president wanted Ukraine to investigate the Bidens and may be election interference. OK, let's assume that's true. That's a big "if," considering it's "The New York Times." But let's say it's true. Does it make any difference?

Well, I would answer absolutely none whatsoever. Now, the DOJ and the Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, they totally refute Bolton's claims. Now you have conflicting testimony. At best, Bolton's testimony would be heavily disputed.

But again, the facts don't change. Even then it doesn't matter one bit. President Trump is allowed to talk. He's allowed to vent, he's allowed to exchange ideas with his close advisors.

That is not a crime. It's kind of like -- well, you tell your friend, I want to rob this jewelry store. I want to rob this grocery store, convenience store. Oh, I'm going to punch this guy the face. I'm going to rip somebody's face off.

But you never do it. You weren't seriously plotting the act. That would not be a crime, would it?

We all think about things, thoughts flow through our brains constantly, at least if you're a conservative. When you think about things, that's not a crime in any way. In the White House, it's certainly not a crime to talk about policy ideas or to vent.

Now, if the president did what they said, it would still be so insignificantly meaningless that it would never rise to the level of quid pro quo Joe and zero experienced Hunter. So, for you senators, if you're going to validate thought crimes to smear a duly elected president, just 280 days before the election, when the facts never change. John Bolton can say, oh, no. The president said there's going to be linkage.

But there never was. We will be in big trouble as a country if you legitimize this.

John Bolton, come on the show. Your country wants to hear from you. I would like to hear from you. You have a story to tell the country, John, stop playing games. This is not a game when it's the presidency of the United States. It's not a game when you're pushing the boundaries of executive privilege, which George Washington used, and every president pretty much in between and since.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY SEKULOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: The trial of the leader of the free world and the duly elected president of the United States, it is not a game of leaks and unsourced manuscripts. That's politics, unfortunately.

Now, to be specific, you cannot impeach a president on an unsourced allegation. But to have a removal of a duly elected president based on a policy disagreement, that's not what the framers intended. If you lower the bar that way, danger, danger, danger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Yes, Jay is right. What's happening here is dangerous.

Now, a small group of Republican senators, well, they are thinking of caving to the Democratic colleagues. Maybe they want to be like. Maybe they are putting their own election results ahead of the Constitution. And what's in the best interests of the country and the principle of executive privilege and the right of a president to get free and fair and open advice from his top advisors.

Maybe they want the Democrats to get all the witnesses they want. Maybe they want the smear to go on and on and because of "The New York Times" saying in a manuscript that Bolton might have said that the president had linkage, but linkage never happened.

Let me say one other thing. I want to address Mitt Romney. I liked Mitt Romney. I think he would've been a great president in 2012. He was the better person to be the president.

I thought I was friends with Mitt Romney. I don't recognize this guy anymore, another one. He has been a huge disappointment.

I thought he would've been a better president than Obama. We all went all in, wanted him to win, liked his family, wife, kids, wonderful people. But this sanctimonious Trump hatred is getting old, especially as you watch the president accomplishing everything you said, Mitt Romney, you wanted to have happen in the country.

Really? Mitt, look at the four facts, I will say five, that never change. Ukrainians said they never felt pressure. They never, ever did a single thing. They never said they would do a thing, and they got all their money.

So, do you really think that you should take on the role of their U.S. House of Representatives, the sole constitutional role to impeach, and now you want to put on a whole other case and take on their job? All I see, with all due respect, Mitt Romney, is your personal hatred for Donald Trump, and it's clearly clouding your judgment.

Do you really think Americans are too stupid to choose their president? Mitt Romney, Senator, we have an election in 280 days. Why don't you go out and campaign for quid or pro or quo Joe? I haven't heard you talk about quid pro quo Joe. I haven't heard you talk about zero experience Hunter, either. And I haven't heard you ask them to be called as witnesses.

Really? You are not getting the billion unless you fire the prosecutor that's investigating my zero experience son? You don't want him as a witness? And do you not think that the president, knowing this, is saying, wow. That seems really bad.

And, Mitt, I will send over to your office tomorrow, all the applicable laws in the case of quid pro quo Joe and zero experience Hunter.

And, by the way, the media that is loving you now, Mitt, they were the same people that were out there saying you were a misogynist, you were a racist, you cut some kids here in grade school. They were the ones saying everything and anything about you to destroy you.

Do you think they like you? Do you think they are going to like you? Never.

And this goes for you other Republican senators. Do you really believe the very same Democrats that accused that innocent man, Justice Kavanaugh, of being a serial gang rapist and put the country through all of that mess, are you going to believe the same congenital liars that pushed the Russian hoax conspiracy theories for over three years? Never touched Hillary Clinton's dirty Russian dossier. Never touched premeditated fraud on the FISA abuse, spying on a presidential campaign, a transition team, and a presidency -- you want to trust those guys? The hacks that have been plotting impeachment since 2016, all through 2017, '18, '19.

This Bolton hysteria manufactured crisis, to use a term, is just the latest example in what is, let's see, the, media mob, which is state run media for the Democratic radical socialist party, and their phony feigned, selective moral outrage. It is the latest so-called bombshell.

Everything is a bombshell. Destroying this administration. This is it, we've got it. It's a bombshell, bombshell, bombshell. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bombshell, former national security advisor John Bolton ready to turn on the president, as news leaks from his explosive new book.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bolton drops the bombshell in an unpublished manuscript for his forthcoming book.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An explosive new account from former national security advisor John Bolton.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Bolton's book, which is as explosive as expected.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bombshell report upending the impeachment trial of President Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bolton's bombshell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Bolton bombshell.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That new book by John Bolton is called "The Room Where It Happened," and it could be a bombshell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Oh, and, tonight, by the way, we just learned that in fact we have, oh, that ticket that in fact, oh, it was Chucky Schumer has -- we learn that Chuck Schumer give a ticket to tomorrow's impeachment hearing to Lev Parnas, that's the guy indicted by the Southern District of New York. I kind of think they are serious people, also campaign finance reform and also say he took a million dollars from Russia and didn't want to report it.

Here with reaction, Senator Ted Cruz. By the way, apparently, now, he has a nightly podcast called "Verdict." Great constitutional attorney.

You know, it's interesting. Alan Dershowitz, a liberal, says you were one of his best students ever at Harvard Law School.

Let's go over what I've just discussed here, the constitutionality of this. Do you agree with my analysis and Professor Dershowitz's analysis?

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): I do. I think Professor Dershowitz's argument that he presented to the Senate was powerful. It was compelling. That the Constitution requires high crimes or misdemeanors, that the test for impeachment is treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

And the House Democrats, they haven't alleged any crime whatsoever. It utterly fails the constitutional standard.

But, you know, Sean, I listened to your opening monologue and the four and five points that you made, and they are right. But let me boil it down to one. One point that explains why the president is innocent and he should be acquitted and why he will be acquitted.

Quid pro quo doesn't matter. It's a red herring. It doesn't matter if there was a quid pro quo or not. The reason is, a president is always justified and in fact has a responsibility to investigate credible evidence of corruption.

The Democrats built their entire case on the proposition that it was baseless and a sham and phony to investigate corruption, to investigate Burisma and the Bidens. You've done a good job of walking through the reality, which is there was a mountain of evidence.

Now, do I know for a fact Joe Biden was corrupt? No. But there was more than enough for the president to say, hey, we ought to investigate him, when this guy's son is getting paid a million bucks a year, when he's bragging about forcing Ukraine to fire the prosecutor -- that stinks, and a minimum should be investigated. That in and of itself eliminates the Democrats' case.

HANNITY: Senator -- I have been saying that it's the president's role to faithfully execute the laws of the land.

CRUZ: Yes.

HANNITY: A Ukraine court, "Politico," January 11th, 2017, they laid out chapter and verse that Ukraine, separate and apart from the Russian interference that did occur, that they interfered in our election. Can you do us a favor, get to the bottom of it? We spent three years as a country dealing with this.

Number two, OK, Joe Biden on tape. You're not getting the billion until you fire the prosecutor investigating my zero experience son, who is going to continue to get paid.

Now, I'm not a lawyer, Ted Cruz. You are. That sounds like not only faithfully executing but I think even Sean Hannity can bring that before a jury and get a conviction.

CRUZ: Look, I think that's exactly right.

If you look at the Democrats' argument -- and I will say, the Senate, we have conducted a fair trial. We listened to the House Democrats for 22 hours. We listened until practically our ears bled. We heard all the evidence, all the witness testimony, every argument that they made over and over and over again.

You know, they spent about half of that time trying to prove that President Trump wanted an investigation into Joe Biden, and Hunter Biden, and Burisma. Well, you know what, you and I could've proved that in 30 seconds because the president has said that on national television t repeatedly. That is conceded, yes.

Donald Trump wanted the corruption or potential corruption investigated. That's a good thing, not a bad thing.

I will tell you something else that's ironic. Everything they accused the president of and say the president did wrong, the Democrats have done worse.

So they accuse the president of withholding aid to Ukraine. Well, you and I both know that Barack Obama refused to give legal aid to Ukraine for his entire presidency. Donald Trump has given Javelin missiles, antitank missiles. So if delaying aid to Ukraine is wrong, then Obama did it worse.

If investigating a political rival is wrong, then let's pause for a second, because Obama investigated a political rival, sent in spies, sent in wiretaps, unleashed the FBI and DOJ and investigated the Republican nominee.

So, for the Democrats, it's worth asking them, what exactly are you saying the president did wrong, and which part of it has your party not done tenfold worse?

HANNITY: Let me -- well said, Senator. And I'm going to tell you another thing. I think -- I'm thankful the president is looking out for our money. You're hanging out with those same guys as your predecessor, that's not a good idea.

Never mentioned the aid. No quid pro quo. I want nothing. I want nothing, and, at the end, the four facts remain the same. Five subsequent meetings, high-profile, with Zelensky, aid never discussed, Senator Cruz.

This needs to end.

CRUZ: Yes.

HANNITY: And if your colleagues on the Republican side don't end it, then I've got a problem with all of them because they are useless to our Constitution and the rule of law in my opinion.

CRUZ: Look, I agree. Enough already. Move on.

On Friday, I'm going to vote that we don't need anymore witnesses. We had 17 witnesses in the House, we've heard all the evidence.

HANNITY: Good, please (ph)?

CRUZ: The House managers have failed. I hope that that motion passes. It's close.

All 47 Democrats are going to vote for more witnesses because they want a fishing expedition. And we may get -- I hope we don't -- but we might get four wobbly Republican standing with them.

You know, you mentioned just a few minutes ago, the podcast I'm doing. So, I started it on the first day of the trial, and every day when the trial is over, I jump in a truck, head to the studio, and record a podcast that night. The first one I did at 2:46 in the morning, and I share my thoughts.

That podcast went from being nonexistent to being the number one podcast in the country, the number one --

HANNITY: I got to go, but --

CRUZ: -- top-ranked podcast and it's the verdict -- it's "Verdict with Ted Cruz". So, it's -- we're talking about the facts in detail every night.

HANNITY: I will put it up on my website, Hannity.com. I want to hear it. Senator, if I'm allowed. I've got to check the laws.

Joining us now, he did an amazing job, author of "Guilt by Accusation," Professor Dershowitz.

Professor, I don't -- I want you to just, this is now dangerous for this country in my view.

ALAN DERSHOWITZ, AUTHOR, "GUILT BY ACCUSSATION": This is extremely dangerous.

If we allow abuse of power to become a criteria, a criteria that the Framers implicitly rejected when they rejected maladministration, which is the same thing as abuse of power, we weaponize impeachment, and it becomes normalized, and it will be used every time there's a president with an opposing party in Congress.

I gave a list on the floor of the Senate yesterday of over 30 American presidents from George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, who had been accused of abuse of power. And none of them was impeached, which shows you how vague and open-ended and selective that criteria is. It can be weaponized and used against anybody or nobody, depending on the whim of Congress.

HANNITY: Your case was compelling.

DERSHOWITZ: I appreciate it.

HANNITY: Let me ask you this: the issue of witnesses, why would Republicans bring in witnesses they didn't even subpoena in the House?

DERSHOWITZ: Well, first of all, under my constitutional analysis, witnesses would not be proper because this is a case for dismissal. If you accuse somebody, impeach somebody for being, say, dishonest, that's not a criteria.

So it doesn't matter how many witnesses you call, it doesn't matter how many witnesses you call when you accuse somebody of abuse of power or obstruction of Congress. But if they do call witnesses, they have to call witnesses on both sides, and Hunter Biden is obviously a relevant witness to the state of mind of the president which is crucial to impeachment.

HANNITY: And, by the way, all the evidence you'd need for a real investigation. By the way, was Ted Cruz really your best student -- one of your best students?

DERSHOWITZ: He was a terrific student. He came into class with his hand held up, and --

HANNITY: One of your best?

DERSHOWITZ: -- he never put them down, never put his hand down. He was a great student because we disagreed about everything, and it created for a real argument in class.

HANNITY: You had your finest moment, professor. Take a bow. Standing up for the Constitution.

Senator John Kennedy says Bolton's testimony is absolutely irrelevant. He'll explain next, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. As the Schumer-Schiff show now moves to 16 hours of questions, wow, there are still some weak Republicans unwilling to stand up to the Schumer-Schiff sham show. It's pathetic.

And as Senator John Kennedy rightly points out, if we go down this road, this trial could drag on into the spring.

Here now with more to explain, Senator John Kennedy.

I have a message for -- in this particular case, all the Republicans: really? What did the president do wrong? What are they going to learn? Why, I'd like to know.

John Bolton has something to say. John Bolton, come out and say it. Nobody is stopping him.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): Well, there's a lot off hysteria about Mr. Bolton's testimony. Frankly --

HANNITY: Not here.

KENNEDY: Frankly, I think his testimony will be redundant. I speak just for me, Sean, but I'm willing to stipulate that Mr. Bolton will likely testify that the president paused aid to Ukraine while asking Ukraine to investigate Vice President Biden.

And my response to that is --

HANNITY: Good.

KENNEDY: -- your point is what? That doesn't tell us anything.

Why did the president ask for an investigation of Joe Biden? He didn't ask for investigation of Elizabeth Warren, or Bernie Sanders, or Amy Klobuchar. He didn't get Joe Biden's name out of the phone book.

He asked for an investigation of Vice President Biden because he was investigating corruption. And how do we know that? Four words: Hunter Biden and Burisma.

Now, we know for a fact -- I'm not accusing anyone of anything, Sean, but the Ukrainian government is historically and organically corrupt. And Vice President -- or rather, President Obama placed Vice President Biden in charge of the foreign affairs of two countries, Ukraine and China. And in both cases, in both cases, Mr. Hunter Biden, his son, walked away with millions and in some cases billions of dollars of contracts.

Now, you know the message that was sent to the rest of the world? That America's foreign policy can be bought like a sack of potatoes. And I think the president's lawyers have proven clearly and convincingly that the president was not investigating Joe Biden because he was a political rival. That he was asking for investigation of corruption, possible corruption, by the vice president and his son. And that is a perfectly legitimate thing for a president to do.

HANNITY: That is extraordinarily well-laid out. The word "aid" was never discussed. Corruption was.

You're hanging out with the same guys as your predecessor. That concerns me.

We know the Ukrainian court said there was election interference. "Politico," January 11, 2017, there was election interference by Ukraine.

Now, when you hear Joe Biden bragging on tape, I told them they're not getting the billion. I will give you the billion but you've got to first fire the prosecutor investigating my zero experience son being paid millions.

Now, I don't know. I grew up in New York. Maybe I'm a little more cynical than other people. But to me, where I come from, that's a shakedown, Senator.

KENNEDY: Yes.

HANNITY: And that needed to be investigated.

Now, I also read in school at some point in time that the president's job is to faithfully execute the laws. Sounds to me like the president was looking into what is obviously something that needs to be investigated.

KENENDY: And let me say another word about Mr. Bolton, I don't mean any disrespect to Mr. Bolton. But if you think Senator Schumer is going to be satisfied with one additional witness, Mr. Bolton, you also believe in Bigfoot.

We have seen Senator Schumer the last few days. He's like a 5-year-old in a Batman costume. He's going to this camera and that camera and this camera. He's all atwitter with anticipation.

We won't have enough digits to list the number of witnesses that Senator Schumer is going to want to call. And that's why I said that if we open this thing up, if we open this thing up, then we're going to be here at least through April, May, maybe longer. Because Senator Schumer's strategy is to prolong this as long as possible, throw as much mud as he can, because if you throw enough mud, it leaves a stain.

HANNITY: I got to run. Well, they haven't done anything else for the last three years except hate the president. That would be a typical day in the life of the Democratic Party.

Senator, well-said. Great case. You laid it out very well. We appreciate it.

All right. When we come back, Jim Jordan, the four facts that never change. Mark Meadows, his ally, Louie Gohmert, and oh, what we now know what fake news CNN thinks about you -- we, the American people. Not very flattering. It's in keeping, though, with Obama, oh, and Hillary, and oh, Peter Strzok, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. So, the Democrats have turned this impeachment sham into a circus, and now we got Chucky Schumer. This is great. Now, he's invited as a special guest, Lev Parnas, what, to tomorrow's impeachment.

Now, that guy right there, he is the one facing yep, he's been charged, serious charges, out on bail, campaign fraud charges, and yes, the Southern District of New York said he may have taken a million-dollar payment from Russia and tried to hide it.

Here with reaction, Republican Congressman Mark Meadows, Jim Jordan, Louie Gohmert.

See these three guys? They are called the members and leaders of the Freedom Caucus, without which we are all screwed. Just saying it.

Jim Jordan, four facts never change. And why is that relevant again tonight? Because let's say John Bolton said the president vented. The president said, oh, they better do this or they're not getting any money.

REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): Yes.

HANNITY : The fourth fact is -- of your facts, the fourth fact is it doesn't matter, does it, because he didn't do it?

JORDAN: Right, exactly right, Sean.

Now, look, and John -- and someone telling "The New York Times" what John Bolton's draft manuscript supposedly says doesn't change those facts. It never will. Those facts are so solid.

I also like what Senator Kennedy said. He said this -- it will never be enough for the Democrats. They're always going to want something more.

And understand where were at right now, Sean -- the witness count right now is 17-0. Adam Schiff subpoenaed all 17 witnesses, and we didn't get to call any of them. So, it's 17-0, and what do the Democrats want? They want it to be 18-0, and then, pretty soon, it will be 19-0.

We should stop this now. All the facts are on the president's side, the Constitution is on his side and the lack of due process that was not there for him in the House, that argument is also on his side. Let's get this over with this week.

HANNITY: I don't know about you, Mark Meadows. I've been friends with John Bolton -- or at least considered him a friend. I don't recognize this guy. I don't recognize this guy being willing to let the country spiral down into this mess.

John Bolton, I'll say it again. You've got something to say, you have an open invitation. We've been asking you to come on the show. Come on the show. Come on the show.

You're invited on the show. Got something to say, say it.

But it still doesn't impact -- if the president said that I want to rob a bank, I want to beat up Sean Hannity, whatever. But he doesn't do it, Mark Meadows, we know --

REP. MARK MEADOWS (R-NC): Yes.

HANNITY: -- that the president, we've got nothing for the -- Ukraine did nothing for the aid. They got all the aid. They never made a promise.

They never started an investigation. Where's the crime? Where's the impeachment?

MEADOWS: Well, you're exactly right, Sean. One of the big things is we're trying to comment on an anonymous leak to "The New York Times" about a manuscript that none of us have read.

Here's what I do know. If John Bolton were to testify, it will not change anything. It will not make President Zelensky say he was pressured. It will not make Vice President Pence say that he actually performed a quid pro quo.

It will also not inform the Ukrainians that the aid was being held any earlier than they found out in the "Politico" article, you know, at the end of August. So, his testimony doesn't matter. What does matter is 53 Republican senators are going to have to make a real hard decision here in a few days.

They're going to have to make a decision on whether they're going to let Adam Schiff continue, not only for three years, but for all four years of the first term of the presidency, continue to obstruct and not address prescription drug prices, not fix our roads and bridges. Hopefully, they'll make the right decision because it's not going to matter in the end because the president didn't do anything wrong.

HANNITY: Can you figure out, Louie Gohmert, you've known John Bolton for a long time. You've probably thought highly of him as I have thought about them all these years. I'm not so sure tonight.

You know, his lawyer -- his lawyer saying he may have important details in this case but we're not going to tell you what they are. And we've got a book, but we are not going to confirm or deny anything that might or might not be in the book and we're going at all that out there, we're going to sell the book and meanwhile, first, they invoke -- they're going to invoke executive privilege. Now, in the Senate they're not going to do it.

So, can you figure this out? Because I can't.

REP. LOUIE GOHMERT (R-TX): And I can't, either. I have known John Bolton, and I have liked him for years. And I felt like he was a great American.

But he had to know when he submitted that book to the general counsel at the NSC, where Vindman's brother works and others, that there were going to be problems, and it had to have been -- he's smart enough to know that he was going to create problems, or at least visually give the Democrats something to raise Cain about, even though there is no "there" there.

But tomorrow's going to be a great day. Questions are going to be asked of the House managers and even though the senators agreed they can't object to the content of an answer, if Schiff doesn't answer a question, they need to submit it again. And if John Roberts is going to actually preside as he is supposed to, he should direct the witness to answer the question.

So, I'm hoping we're going to see some good answers tomorrow.

HANNITY: OK. Now, moving forward, Jim Jordan.

So, I guess -- you have four weak Senate Republicans to give into the Schumer-Schiff sham show and they go down this road to take on the constitutional role of the House, then I guess I want to hear from the congenital liar, the congenital liar's staff. I want to hear from quid pro quo Joe. I want to hear from zero experienced Hunter, and I want to hear from the hearsay non-whistle-blower whistle-blower who was reported last week that it was actually plotting getting rid of Trump on week two with another Obama holdover in the Trump White House.

JORDAN: Yes, you go down the road, you've got to go all the way down it and they're going to be witnesses, then Republicans should at least get our first witness. We've had zero of our witnesses, and I think first and foremost it should be the whistle-blower. Whether they will go there or not, I don't know.

But one of the questions I like to know --

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I think -- I think I want Joe.

JORDAN: Yes. Well, one of the questions that I want to know is tell me what date, what was the date when the whistle-blower first came in contact with Schiff's staff? When did it happen? When did it happen, Mr. Schiff?

HANNITY: All right. Who would you like, Mark Meadows?

GOHMERT: Exactly.

MEADOWS: Well, obviously, if we don't get then, whistle-blower, we need Hunter Biden because we know that indeed he was involved in at least, at best, touting a resume that didn't deserve the job and that he got it because he was the vice president's son.

So, I see this all coming to a close hopefully on Saturday.

HANNITY: Louie?

GOHMERT: Yes, we need Adam Schiff's staff too, witnesses.

HANNITY: Well said.

All right. Thank you, guys.

These three guys, we need them.

When we come back, oh, another confrontation. Joe Biden telling voters, don't vote for me. We got it on tape.

Also, what does CNN fake news really think of we, the people? Well, I think we'll show you. Pretty revealing, sick, kind of ugly to me. We'll let you decide.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: It's no secret the media mob is almost always wrong. They hate Donald Trump and they hate everything he does, and clearly, they also hate everyone who supports him. Just like irredeemable, deplorables, bitter Americans that cling to their God, Constitution, Bibles, and religion. I could think of worse things. That was Obama.

Here's the latest disgusting example of the mob and the media and what they think of you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump couldn't find Ukraine on a map if you had the letter U and a picture of an actual physical crane next to it. He knows that this is, you know, an administration defined by ignorance of the world, and so that's partly him playing to their base and playing to their audience, you know, credulous boomer rube demo that back Donald Trump, that wants to think that Donald Trump's a smart one, and y'all -- y'all elitists are dumb.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You elitists with your geography and your maps and your spelling even though --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your math, your reading.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, your reading.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And your reading and your maps and Ukraine, and you know, (INAUDIBLE). Wow.

Do you want to know something funny? I guess Don Lemon pretends to be an unbiased journalist. Fake news CNN.

Also tonight, with under one week to go to the Iowa caucuses, there is quid pro quo Joe pointing, touching a guy. Neck and neck in a battle with Bernie. Bernie is pulling ahead, and Biden just told an Iowa voter he doesn't want his vote.

Seriously. Can't make this up. Watch his hands in this particular moment.

(BGEIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like you and I'm going to support you if you win the nomination. We have to beat Trump, but what are you going to do about climate change?

You say you're against pipelines, but then you want to replace these gas lines. That's not going to work. We've got to stop building and replacing pipelines.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Go vote for someone else.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks so much. Thanks so much. Thank you.

BIDEN: You're not going to vote for me in the primary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to vote for you in the general.

BIDEN: Look, you ask for a picture with me, you're coming up to tell me you don't support me.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I said I support you in the general.

BIDEN: In the general, I'm looking for a primary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Dan Bongino, Geraldo Rivera, you know, Geraldo, Dan. I've been out with both of you guys and someone comes up to you, me, we try to be polite. I don't push people. It's not a good thing to do.

Don't push me, anybody. I don't -- it's instinctive. Don't make me do something.

I didn't like that. Thoughts? The mob, Don Lemon, CNN, fake news, Geraldo?

GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT AT LARGE: I have a lot of thoughts. My first thought is that I never liked John Bolton. John Bolton would bomb his neighbor if he didn't trim his hedges.

He was bad for the president. He got fired. He's a chicken to confront the president and instead he's writing this sleazy book and he releases it just so he can hurt the president --

(CROSSTALK)

RIVERA: Done with this guy. Done with this guy.

HANNITY: I said -- I said are you going to support the president's agenda? Because it's different than yours. He told me yes.

RIVERA: Yes, well, he lied. And whatever he has to say, if he says what they are saying he said, it's still not an impeachable offense.

HANNITY: Exactly.

RIVERA: The president clearly, because Hunter Biden stunk up Ukraine so badly, but president clearly had a good reason to be concerned about corruption. So, that's a wash. The president will not be impeached, but we are going to have to go through this agony right now.

In terms of Joe Biden, I think that he's in -- you know, he is getting desperate. Bernie Sanders is now the odds-on favorite to -- I think he is going to win the nomination. He's going to take Iowa closely. He's going to do very well, he's going to win big in New Hampshire. Joe will slow him a little bit with South Carolina, but that's it. Bernie is going to run the table come Super Tuesday.

HANNITY: And we only have a minute and a half for Dan. But in a weird way, this whole impeachment thing really shows Biden screwed it up.

DAN BONGINO, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: He screwed up by not telling -- sorry. Go ahead.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Dan?

BONGINO: It's all right, Geraldo. Just step on me. No big deal.

RIVERA: I didn't mean it.

HANNITY: We are running out of time.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Dan, we are running out of time.

BONGINO: Biden is one of the worst retail politicians I've ever seen. When I ran for office, listen, I can have a hot temper. I think that's kind of obvious. But someone told me the golden rule of politics, Sean, every voter that you treat like crap tells 200 people what an ass you are. That guy now, due to social media, is going to be told -- everyone is going to see that Biden is just terrible at this.

And more thing, the Democrats have already tried this far left thing Bernie Sanders thing. They tried it with McGovern. They tried it with Dukakis. They tried it with Mondale. They got smoked every single time.

No American in the general is going to vote to get their health care canceled and their wallet emptied. No way.

RIVERA: And Hillary Clinton is getting --

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I wouldn't mess with both of you.

All right. The president's massive rally in New Jersey next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. Unfortunately, we went long.

Now, the president had over 100,000 people want to get in the stadium tonight, well over, in New Jersey? Someone writes, Hannity, you think New Jersey is in play? I don't know. Maybe if the media mob like fake news CNN keeps, well, denigrating, we, the American people because we don't think like them and the elitists in the swamp and the sewer, hmm, anything I guess can happen. Quid pro quo Joe helping too.

All right. We'll always be fair and balanced, never the media mob. Set your DVR.

Let not your heart be troubled. Here's Laura.

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