Sen. Graham says coronavirus has padlocked US economy; Pence expects tens of thousands of tests to be available in days, weeks ahead

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Sen. Lindsey Graham says the coronavirus has padlocked the US economy

The sooner we contain coronavirus, the better off America will be in terms of health and prosperity, says South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," March 17, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Welcome to "Hannity."

Tonight, once again, we're dedicated to bringing you facts that you need for your family, your safety, and your loved ones, without fear, panic, hype, and in some corners, hysteria. That includes one, yes, insane MSDNC psychoanalyst who wants to have Trump prosecuted for negligent homicide because of the coronavirus.

All right, it's bad. We'll have a lot on the mob tonight.

Also, the vice president of the United States will be joining us.

Also, Senator Lindsey Graham, out of self-quarantine, he is here -- testing negative.

Plus, we'll have the very latest primary results. Fox News now projecting wins for Joe Biden in Florida and Illinois. We'll have more on that.

But we start tonight with an important message from the president of the United States. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So, it's 15 days from yesterday. We'll see what happens after that. If we do this right, our country and the world, frankly, but our country can be rolling again pretty quickly, pretty quickly. We have to fight that invisible enemy that, I guess, unknown, but we are getting to know it a lot better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Invisible enemy. The president is right. As we speak, this country, the entire world is in a fight against that enemy.

And now, major financial help is on the way. The White House, actively working on an aggressive almost trillion dollar stimulus package, including payroll tax cuts, money for small businesses, emergency assistance to major industries that are directly impacted by this virus. That would mean, yes, the airline industry, cruise industry.

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said today that the president wants Americans to receive checks within two weeks.

Look, we're Americans. We are going to help out our fellow Americans. This country rebuilt Europe after World War II. We saved an entire world numerous times from evil and tyranny. We did it again and again. We paid that price.

We must help our fellow Americans like post-9/11. Industries directly impacted, they will rightly get the help they deserve. American workers, they've got to get the help they deserve. We help countries every day and night and every single time. We help the world.

Small business, they've got to get the help they deserve and need, and hopefully something nonpartisan.

I have a huge caveat on this. All of you swamp creatures, pay attention. We will find the money. That's who we are.

But, Washington, all of you, Republicans and Democrats, stop with the pork barrel misuse of our tax dollars.

You remember, Congress, this is not about your special interest project. This money, every penny of this money needs to go to American workers and American businesses directly impacted by the virus.

That's it. That's what this bill should be. Nothing more, nothing less.

It's got to be managed wisely, so people who need the assistance get the assistance and get it as quickly as possible. Not power-hungry politicians who build their power base by creating dependency that want to spend it on issues that have nothing coronavirus-related to do with this.

This is a crucial moment, because even now, the U.S. military is confronting coronavirus, that threat, head on. Breaking tonight, the Department of Defense, they're now deploying 5 million N95 masks to health care professionals nationwide. That's great news. Why? Well, we got to protect health care workers that throw themselves in front of this virus and every other illness and disease every single day. They've got to be protected.

The Department of Defense is also releasing an additional 2,000 ventilators in case civilians need them in preparation for a worse case scenario. Military hospital ships, they are now being prepared for possible deployment to help overcrowding in hospitals. Plus, the Department of Defense is opening 14 new coronavirus certified testing labs; the National Guard now assisting states with logistics and medical support. It's all- hands-on-deck situation.

By the way, states, governors, municipalities, mayors, you've got to do your job too.

Now, thanks to some very decisive early action by the president, we're now in a position to beat this disease and mitigate the impact. Now, the president's temporary travel ban every day, we now see how critical this was at a critical time, very successful, slowing the spread of that disease that now the European Union is replicating the ban within their own borders. It's a little late for them.

The first case in this country was January 21st, the first known case. The travel ban was put in place ten days later on January 31st. Nobody has ever acted that quickly to stop the spread of the pandemic.

By the way, can the media find one good thing to say about Trump? We'll get to that later on the show.

Now, on the very same day, oh, quid pro quo Dr. Joe said it was fearmongering and xenophobic and hysterical. That one decision, that travel ban followed by the quarantine prevented this pandemic from being exponentially worse, meaning thousands and thousands of Americans would have contracted this disease and it would have been dramatically more difficult to contain and mitigate.

Meanwhile, the president's groundbreaking, public-private partisanship is resulting in expedited testing for Americans. They now have drive through testing centers. That's a good thing. The last place you really want to be right now if you don't have to be there is a hospital. Why? Because we need beds for those that really need it, number one. Number two, it's a Petri dish. You don't want to be there.

And with red tape slashed, scientists, medical researchers, our doctors are now rapidly developing not only treatments, but hopefully a vaccine. This unprecedented cooperation between the government, private industry, this will not forever change the way this country and the world will deal with future pandemics and crises, just like the travel ban.

Unfortunately tonight, I have bad news to report. Why Philly and their police departments that's doing this? I don't know. They are placing an indefinite pause on arrests for certain nonviolent crimes. Crimes are still pursuant to a warrant served for a later date. But the new policy is really bad and a bad idea that will license people to commit crimes and sometimes major cases.

The city of Philadelphia must continue to enforce the law, especially during times of uncertainty, or you will have more lawbreaking. They will say go ahead, you are fine. That's not good for the people of Philadelphia. We'll keep you posted.

Also, let's get to some important facts and information again without fear. Tonight, as expected, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S., that is rising. There are no more than 6,000 confirmed cases in the United States, we've been telling you this is happening, sadly, now over 100 deaths in the U.S.

Now, those numbers, as I've been saying, will likely arise seemingly and dramatically in the next days and weeks. The hope is that if we follow the president, vice president, the task force 15-day recommendation, we will mitigate the spread of this virus. So, that's why it's important.

And, listen up, it's more important than ever to heed the guidance of this task force and the president, what they are calling on all of us to do this for the health and safety and security, especially for older Americans, those with compromised immune systems, underlying health conditions.

Take the follow crucial precautions over the next couple of weeks. Do it why? Because we love our grandmothers, our grandfathers, our older moms and dads. They are the most vulnerable. They are the most at risk.

If you feel sick, stay home. If the kids feel sick, keep them at home. Anyone in your house test positive for the coronavirus, keep the entire household at home.

If you are an elderly person or someone with these underlying medical conditions or you have a compromised immune system or autoimmune disease, or you went through chemotherapy and radiation, you need to stay away from other people on your own. If possible, work from home. Avoid discretionary travel. Avoid big, social gatherings. Avoid nursing homes. Avoid large group settings.

In other words, for the next two weeks, you can sit on a sofa, you can stay at home. We hope you will stay with us here at Fox News. But, we are trying to get you the information that will keep your family safe.

But, by simply doing nothing, we can all save lives. We can flatten the curve of the disease. We can get back to normal. We will eventually.

The great Winston Churchill, in the middle of the bombing of Britain, every single day, he walked among the people of Great Britain. Blood, toil, tear, and sweat, vowed to wage war by sea, land and air. Victory -- that was the goal.

We will be victorious here. Our present challenge requires little more than social distancing for the majority of our population. We can all do our part, like I said in an all-hands-on-deck situation.

But for many, most, the vast majority, Dr. Fauci told me on my radio show again today, no, if you're young, healthy, and you don't have a compromised immune system, you might -- if you have contracted the virus, you may have no symptoms. You might have mild symptoms, you may get a full on flu. It is passing it on to those people that would be at risk that is the fear.

This country will be fine in the end. We have the best doctors, hospitals, scientists, medical researchers, military, the greatest economy in the world, and we have an abundance of food, an abundance of natural resources, a robust, hardworking, intelligent population.

Oh, the president spoke with America's big grocery chains. They are filling those -- don't run in for toilet paper an extra paper towels. Why don't people go for that first? I don't get it -- because they're going to be filling the shelves everywhere across the country. That is also in the works tonight.

We'll pull together. We'll defeat this invisible enemy. Lawmakers in Washington, you need to put aside the B.S. politics.

These Americans need help. Don't waste our money. Don't waste it. It is important to our hardworking Americans impacted. It's important industries to this economy.

Give it to the people that deserve it and only the people that deserve it in the right way. And set the economy up for quick growth when this is all done.

Before we get to our guest, I have more important message. Make no mistake. The dictatorship of China is -- this is where the pandemic started. I'm not saying they are responsible for the pandemic. They are responsible for being irresponsible trying to hide it, misinforming the rest of the world rather than inviting the world to offer their help and assistance to them.

Now, during that critical, those critical early stages, China's so-called leaders, they tried to cover everything up. Instead of alerting the world community, they silenced the doctors working on the frontlines. Many, themselves, now contracting the virus, some have even died.

China's government spreading fake information, propaganda, and lies. They are falsely even blaming the U.S. military for the disease. I was glad the president pushed back hard against them for that. That was part of their massive cover-up. They're kicking out all media members of the media, from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post.

OK, you all should be ashamed of yourselves and China, because it's your reckless actions that have led to thousands of deaths, not only in your own country but around the world. We have would have gladly helped you. You should have asked for the help. The rest of the world would have gladly helped you.

Millions more are now suffering because of your role dictatorship and your lack of a accountability. You ultimately need to take responsibility for all of that.

Joining us now with the latest facts without fear, so you will be informed without hype and hysteria, FOX Nation host, Lara Logan -- Lara.

LARA LOGAN, FOX NATION HOST: Good evening, Sean.

Well, the number of cases of the coronavirus worldwide is just below 200,000 at this point, 197,126, according to Johns Hopkins Medical Center, and deaths approaching 8,000. The total number of deaths now stands at 7,905. And recovery, though, is about -- is just over 80,000 people have actually recovered.

And what's pretty interesting about this, Sean, for me, because I covered Ebola where almost everybody died in the last epidemic, the biggest one, is that a significant number of people do -- can and do recover from coronavirus. And perhaps what's got doctors concerned is that the rate of infection is higher than flu, for example.

So, while the numbers of corona -- people with coronavirus are dwarfed by the number of people with flu every year, you -- you know, the statistical rate of transmission is 1 in 3 for flu and 1 in ten. So, you're basically giving it to ten people if you have it instead of giving it to three. So, it is much, much more infectious. And that may be some of what explains why this is expanding.

Today, one of the four NBA players who came out and said it was, I was one of those who tested positive was Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets, sorry, Brooklyn -- and so, he said that he hasn't experienced any symptoms yet. It's just that he was one of the four players that tested positive.

We also have Midway Airport in Chicago has been closed, shut down, that's because the number of officials in the air traffic control center tested positive. And you wouldn't know it. You want to know anything about the coronavirus on the beaches of South Padre Island, Texas, and other places, where spring break is still in full swing. But in Miami, they are kicking people off the beaches late at night -- Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Parents, listen to what we are saying. Why are you letting your kids go to spring break? You are probably paying for that, maybe not this year.

Anyway, Laura, thank you for that report. Without the hype, partisanship, and fear.

Breaking moments ago, New York City Mayor De Blasio just instructed New Yorkers to prepare for a potential, what he's calling shelter-in-place directive. OK, that means you can't leave your house. Bad idea. Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, rightly pushing back against that.

Here with more in the ground of Hoboken in New Jersey, our own Rick Leventhal with that report.

Even Italy, in the midst of this, I talked to Newt Gingrich -- he is in Italy -- said grocery stores stay open. People have to eat. You are stuck in your house and you're forced whatever he's proposing. What about the people they don't have food or need medicine and need certain supplies? They ought to be able to go.

RICK LEVENTHAL, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly an eerie and unsettling feeling here in Hoboken, New Jersey, Sean, and what could happen in New York City is already starting to happen here. We are just across the river from Manhattan.

A curfew takes effect here less than an hour from now. This was the first city to tell is restaurant stop serving food and only allow takeout and delivery. That was last Saturday and much of the nation followed suit.

And today, the mayor of the city told its 50,000 citizens, and I quote, whether you feel sick or not, all residents should immediately begin self isolating at home. A dramatic and aggressive effort to try to prevent person to person transmission.

Well, now, the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is warning residents a similar shelter in place order could be issued within the next 48 hours. And that would require the city's 8 million residents not to leave their homes, except for food, medicine, doctors' visit, or work, or some other essential travel.

Presumably, the NYPD would help enforce this. But as you mentioned, the governor says it's not up to the mayor. It's up to him. He doesn't seem like he is ready to take such drastic action. But, Sean, there are some very difficult decision ahead.

HANNITY: All right. Rick Leventhal, thank you for that report. We appreciate it.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell now vowing to keep the Senate in session until the coronavirus response package has been passed.

Joining us now with the latest details there, Chad Pergram.

You know what's infuriating about this, we have real people and real need - - with real needs, industry people, businesses, small businesses, American workers, and they are arguing over things that have nothing to do with the coronavirus, Chad. And you give the hitchhikers guide to everything Washington, D.C. -- can they pass a straight assistance bill that has underlying pinnings of thinking about a strong economy out of this?

CHAD PERGRAM, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what they are working on right now. And for the second time in 24 hours, the secretary of the treasury, Steve Mnuchin, came to Capitol Hill to talk to Senate Republicans. They're talking about a trillion dollar package.

Now, we don't believe that is going to be all raw money, money that they're just going to drop out of helicopters. There is going to be some direct payments, maybe $1,000 to individual Americans. But there is also going to be tax relief. There's going to be money for small businesses, relief for the airline industry.

This is what Steve Mnuchin said when he met with Senate Republican today. Quote: it's a big number, but it's a very unique situation.

And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, quote: We're going to move at warp speed. Everyone on both sides of the aisle is seized with urgency.

So, they want to get this moving within the Senate sometime within the next couple of days.

Here is the other problem. The Senate has still not approved the bill that the House of Representatives okayed in the wee hours of Saturday morning. That was the second coronavirus package. We're told they are trying to get a deal to do that around 2:00 on Wednesday afternoon.

This bill, that bill was supposed to be the easy one. I was told over the weekend, do not underestimate how challenging getting that measure through the Senate is going to be on the fact they are not going to move it until Wednesday underscores the challenge there and also the challenge of doing phase three here.

Keep in mind, they had to have Democrats on board. They have to get 60 votes in the Senate. That would involve negotiations with Chuck Schumer. Also, Mnuchin began around of telephone calls today with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Here's one thing I'm told, is that they feel that they are in a race against time. They want to get these bills through both the House and Senate before everyone here get sick, Sean.

HANNITY: All right, Chad, thank you, on Capitol Hill tonight.

From the historic success of public-private partnerships, to the rapid economic response, it helps to have a lifelong businessman at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This is all paradigm-shifting and changing.

This week, Senator Graham said that President Trump is our best bet for getting the economy off quickly, back on track. Moments ago, well, we are now learning that the White House is continuing to take bold action to keep us safe and secure, now mulling plans to close the northern and the southern border amid this growing virus threat.

Here with more is the senator himself, Lindsey Graham.

You know, Senator, it really makes me mad. One thing that makes me mad --

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C.: Yes.

HANNITY: Well, two things. One, the media mob. And, you know, of course, they can't even admit that the travel ban was the biggest, best decision and record time that the president made. They can't even give him credit for that. OK, that's who they are.

The second thing that makes me mad is your friends where -- you live in that sewer. I will call it a sewer, swamp, same thing. Because, Lindsey, this is about workers.

GRAHAM: Yes.

HANNITY: Industry, through no fault of their own. We're going to pony up the money. We rebuilt Europe. We beat back tyranny and dictatorship, fascism, Nazism, communism, and the like. We pay that price all the time.

Can we just do one bill corona-related? Only the corona-related?

GRAHAM: You got to put lead on the target, and I couldn't agree with you. You know what makes me happy? Is that we're seeing the best of America. We are seeing grocery stores allowing seniors to come in and shop first. We're seeing neighbor take care of neighbor.

You know, the war on terror, 1 percent of the country has been fighting radical Islam. This enemy called the virus, we need 100 percent of us, all hands on deck. We need that fighting spirit of World War II.

I just got off the phone with the president. Here's his number one goal: containment is locking down the economy. President Trump's policies in his first three years liberated the economy. Along comes the virus that has put a padlock on the economy. The sooner we contain it, the better off we'll be in terms of health and prosperity.

So, the president wants to put lead on target. The governor of South Carolina tonight closed all the bars and all the restaurants. That's designed to stop the spread of the virus.

My goal is to make sure that all those people who were working in the restaurant in Myrtle Beach and working in a bar all over South Carolina, that their income is protected. We don't need a Christmas tree approach. We need to protect people who have lost their jobs because of the virus. No more, no less.

HANNITY: OK, all of that. Are we going to get that? Because it didn't start out too well in the House?

GRAHAM: Well, the House bill is going to pass in the Senate tomorrow afternoon. And that deals with people who are sick.

What happens now is that people in the South Carolina and throughout the country are out of work because of the virus.

The economy three weeks ago was historically good, along comes the virus. This president closed down travel between us and China, the single best decision he made.

Now, he told me tonight, that those people are out of work because of the containment policies, shutting down restaurants, hotels and bars. We're going to keep their checks coming. They don't need $1,000. They need a sustainable income, either through loans from their employers to keep the payroll coming or get on on employment insurance or something like it so that they'll have income.

Our number one job right now is to provide income to those people who have lost their job because of the virus.

HANNITY: OK. That is a top priority. And the money is going to get there quick. I'll ask the vice president in a few, because I think this is important.

When we earmark this money, where it goes, how quickly it gets there, but more importantly, all right, so the travel ban bought us a lot of time. Very important.

GRAHAM: Oh, my gosh, yes.

HANNITY: The public-private partnership, drive up testing. It won't -- we won't inundate our hospitals and put Americans at risk go in there, new innovation.

GRAHAM: Right.

HANNITY: That will change -- that's a game changer.

All right, are we going to have enough medical supplies? Triage capabilities of a particular geographic region needs a -- you know, a C-130 medical supplies packed, ready to go, and supports that. We have that -- respirators, ventilators, everything else, are you confident?

GRAHAM: Yes, he's basically called up the medical reserves. The president is taking mobile army hospital and will deploy them in these high risk hotspots. The military has capability that's been stockpiled over time. We'll begin to share it with people who need it the most.

But my number one goal -- please, if you get nothing else out of this interview, people out of work in my home state and throughout this country of no fault of their own, they're out of work because of the virus. The containment policies are putting people out of work. And we need to guarantee their income.

HANNITY: Absolutely.

I did send Lindsey Graham Halls Steakhouse.

GRAHAM: Yes, you did.

HANNITY: Halls is the greatest steakhouse in South Carolina and I'm glad you're well.

GRAHAM: Thank you.

HANNITY: We're glad you're out of self-quarantine. We're glad you tested negative.

GRAHAM: I'm ready to fight. I want to go to the Senate and whip this virus's ass.

HANNITY: I'm all for -- I like that. That's -- I'm with you.

GRAHAM: Whip its ass.

HANNITY: You keep cursing on my show, every time you do it, my (INAUDIBLE).

(LAUGHTER)

GRAHAM: Thank you.

HANNITY: All right. Thank you, Senator.

All right. When we -- by the way, today, during the Coronavirus Task Force briefing, President Trump highlighted the American men and women who are working to keep this country running during this pandemic.

Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're taking aggressive action now as one nation and one family so that America can rebound stronger, frankly, stronger than ever before. And we recognize that while many American workers can work from home, many others cannot. Many of our health care providers, first responders, and men and women in the food service and manufacturing, are showing that -- they're showing up and standing up to provide us with the goods and services we need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And joining us now is the vice president of the United States, also heading up the president's task force on corona, Vice President Mike Pence.

Great to have you back, sir. Thank you for being with us.

VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: Thank you, Sean.

HANNITY: OK, let's start -- we've got a lot of ground to cover. A lot of things are now happening, fluid.

PENCE: Right.

HANNITY: But these 15 days of guidelines to the American people and the reason for the importance of this.

PENCE: Well, Sean, first, thank you for -- for your efforts to convey the president's coronavirus guidelines for America.

What the president unveiled yesterday and what we're -- what we're pleased to learn is being embraced by states and communities and millions of American families of what we believe is important for every American to do over the next two weeks to significantly impact the spread of the coronavirus in the weeks and months ahead.

All of our experts tell us, and they advised the president as he endorsed these guidelines, to avoid social gatherings of more than ten people to -- if you're sick, stay home. If there's someone in your home contracts the coronavirus, that everyone should stay home.

All of those recommendations are part and parcel of an effort by our experts, endorsed by the president, to limit -- to limit the reach of the coronavirus over the coming weeks and months. And we -- and we need every American, every American business to step forward and recognize that if we act now, if we act now, we can limit the spread of the coronavirus significantly and ultimately save lives.

HANNITY: Let's go through a little checklist if we can. I know you don't have a lot of time.

How quickly will the drive up testing sites in Walmart and CVS parking lots, Target, et cetera -- I wish I could name them all, because I think they've really stepped up to the plate. How long do you expect those online for those people that needs tests and how big of a part of the country will be covered?

PENCE: Well, what's happening is that, as of last week, ten states around the country had initiated drive-thru testing centers. But, Sean, they were using the old manual testing methods in labs, which could only test about 40 to 60 people a week.

Because President Trump, two weeks ago, brought together the top commercial labs in the country, and because the FDA moved in record time, now, we have what are called high throughput tests, automated tests, that can literally test thousands of people a day for the coronavirus.

And I couldn't be more proud. Admiral Giroir and the dedicated people at U.S. Public Health Service and FEMA are working with states around the country to build on the state's efforts to establish drive-thru and community coronavirus testing centers. Those are coming online starting tomorrow and they will be widening their scope around the country.

We're going to be supporting state efforts. We're going to be working with them to make sure that those retailers, which are CVS and Target, and Walgreens, and Walmart, that are opening their parking lots for drive-thru centers are included.

But the American people can be confident that now that we have the commercial labs around the country with those high speed, automated tests, you're literally going to see tens of thousands of tests in the days and weeks ahead for the American people.

HANNITY: Let's talk about what (ph) we have enough medical equipments, respirators, ventilators. I know, as I said, some were released by the Pentagon. That's really good news in a worst-case scenario.

Also, I talked to Dr. Fauci. He likes to say he wants to err on the side of caution. Worst-case scenario is what you're planning for. Are we ready for that?

For example, cities that might be overwhelmed, would we have triage capabilities, doctors on standby with all the equipment that they need, the tents, the medical supplies, supporting staff, that we could C130 cargo plane them over, and they can set up and they're on the ground to take on more capacity if hospital systems are overwhelmed?

PENCE: Well, Sean, today, the president convened the nation's top industrial suppliers, names that are familiar to you -- Home Depot, Amazon, and others. And we directed them today to ensure that those critical medical supplies are being focused away from construction and other industries and focused exclusively on the needs of our health care industry.

The president has made it clear this is all-hands-on-deck. We're going to continue to work with businesses. We're going to continue to work closely with governors.

I spoke to the governor of New Jersey today. I spoke to the governor of Washington state yesterday. We are day by day evaluating what their needs are, because our priority is people that have contracted the coronavirus, making sure that they have the testing and the care that every American would want for their family.

And our second priority, right after it, is our health care workers, Sean. And President Trump has made it clear that we're going to use every effort of the federal government, every resource of the government, as well as harnessing the power of the private sector to make sure our health care workers have the personal protective equipment that they need to do their job safely.

HANNITY: Mr. Vice President, I want to ask you this, especially on the economy.

We know that there are checks going out starting, I believe, in the next two weeks. People paying their taxes will get a delay. No penalties, no interest. There's going to be small business loan availability set up for those small businesses and relief for workers, and relief for those -- those industries in particular, airlines. The president has mentioned the cruise line industry, directly impacted through no fault of their own here.

We may be spending close to a trillion dollars?

PENCE: Sean, what the president has made clear, and every American can be confident is we're going to do whatever it takes. Any hourly worker in this country who feels like they may have contracted the coronavirus should stay home. And they shouldn't worry about missing a paycheck or working with Congress to ensure that paid leave is available for hardworking Americans.

But making sure that this economy gets back on its feet, that Americans are able to weather this time is also a priority for President Trump. We're talking with the leadership in both parties on Capitol Hill and we're very confident that as Congress did before with the supplemental, the legislation that is moving through today that will bring paid family leave and cover the cost of a coronavirus test for every American, whether they have insurance or not, we're going to build on that with an economic stimulus package that will bring us through this time.

And when we are through the coronavirus, as the president said again today, we know this economy will come roaring back, Sean. And all the fundamentals are there, the best thing we could do for the economy is what the president called out every American to do yesterday in the 15 days to slow the spread. The more we can do, every single one of us, to prevent the spread in our family, in our community, in our place of work, the sooner we will be through this. It will still be weeks and months to go, but we can lessen the impact of the coronavirus in the weeks and months ahead, and we can save lives.

And as the president said, when we defeat the coronavirus in the United States, this economy will come roaring back.

HANNITY: Mr. Vice President, as always, thank you.

PENCE: Thank you, Sean.

HANNITY: And coming up, China continues their disinformation campaign. The president is refusing to back down to China's demands. Trace Gallagher with full report. More on our busy breaking news night as we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Now, China, continuing to ramp up their authoritarian tactics amid the virus outbreak, now kicking out American journalists from major papers like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal.

Here with the very latest, our chief breaking news correspondent, Trace Gallagher.

Wow. A moment at the press conference today, too, when, oh, do you think, Mr. President, that it's wrong to say virus from China? No, it's wrong for China to stigmatize the United States and falsely lie and blame our military with what they've been putting out there as lies and propaganda.

TRACE GALLAGHER, FOX NEWS CHIEF BREAKING NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and we'll play you that sound bite, Sean. But along with "The New York Times" and "The Wall Street Journal", China also pulled credentials from journalists at "The Washington Post" with the Chinese foreign ministry accusing the publication of ideological bias against China, fake news and breaches of journalistic ethics. The reporters now have ten days to give up their press badges.

Meantime, as you mentioned, China is demanding President Trump stop linking COVID-19 with China. This week, the president tweeted that the U.S. would be supporting the airline industry and others impacted by the, quote, Chinese virus.

And today, he tweeted that some states were being hit hard by the Chinese virus.

Today, the president was asked about the phrase and the criticism from China. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Well, China was putting out information, which is false, that our military gave this to them. That was false. And rather than having an argument, I said I have to call it where it came from. It did come from China. So, I think it's a very accurate term.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: He is referring, by the way, to a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson saying last week that a member of the U.S. military possibly brought the virus to Wuhan -- Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Trace Gallagher with that report, thank you.

Like we've been saying, China needs to be held accountable for their lives, their propaganda, state-run TV, media. They are all covering up the extent of this pandemic, hiding it from the world.

Here with reaction, Fox News contributors, Mike Huckabee, Dan Bongino.

Governor, we'll start with you.

I like the president hit back today. You know, well, it -- I know people that -- actually, one of my best friends is with the woman, a girlfriend, probably soon fiance, from Wuhan province. They are saying it's the Wuhan virus there, according to her and her family that still lives there.

MIKE HUCKABEE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: You know, Sean, one of the things that a level at this president, he has the courage to push back on China. No Democrat and no Republican president in my lifetime has had the courage to just recognize that this is a totalitarian communist government. They abuse people's human rights.

And I wonder if The Washington Post and New York Times will appreciate that of all things, it's Donald Trump who is defending them in the freedom of press, because the Chinese totalitarian dictatorship has basically said you can't have free press. Well, voila, we knew that all along.

I think it's a wonderful reminder that this is a president who said he was going to hold China accountable, not just for diseases, but for trade and for all of the ways in which they have been cheating, and he's done it and it's been for the benefit of every America. You know, this disease is a terrible, terrible thing. But it has pointed out why Donald Trump had to take that position and we're the beneficiaries of it now.

HANNITY: You know, Dan, this has gone on too long. Two people really warned us a lot about China. One is Donald Trump. I will think anybody more than him, probably Newt Gingrich second.

OK. Unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft, finally, the president actually got a $220 billion trade deal with China, helping our farmers, manufacturers, auto industry, energy industry, service industry. And then, they could have had the world's greatest scientists. All they had to do was ask.

DAN BONGINO, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, yes.

HANNITY: Everybody would have said boom. Their best people in to help them. They did the opposite.

BONGINO: Yes.

HANNITY: Are they going to throw our journalists? I say we throw out their journalists from here.

BONGINO: Yes, I think the biggest mistake, Sean, we made earlier on with China, a lot of people, not just us, was that their entrance into the WTO and the increase in global commerce was going to make them wealthier. And making them wealthier would make them year more for liberty, their populace. We haven't seen that.

What we've seen is the world's largest surveillance state and really a growing tyrannical state at this point. Let me say on this -- on this China's efforts to dictate the narrative and how we discuss the Chinese coronavirus, the Wuhan virus. You're not going to tell us how to talk about it. One, it's not racist. China is not a race. It's a country.

Number two, this has nothing to do with the Chinese people. Nothing. They are not telling us how to do this. This is an effort by a totalitarian regime, their PR machine, and their bots to dictate how the American people speak about this. We're not going to do it. The effort is being led by the president.

But what is surprising, it's not surprising the Chinese did this. What is surprising is how many useful idiots in the media right here in this country are actually playing along with China's attempt to manipulate the liberal left's love affair with identity politics. It's really unbelievable the suckers they are for playing along with this.

HANNITY: And take note, Governor Huckabee, it's Dan Bongino, conservative, Sean Hannity, conservative, Governor Huckabee, conservative, saying, yes, as fake as "The New York Times" is with fake news, they have a right to be there. And they should be there. And the world needs to know what they are reporting, especially if they occasionally stumble on the truth.

And -- but we have that freedom. Even to lie about you -- all three of us, which they do regularly, and the president.

HUCKABEE: Well, it's important to note that they have been just relentless at attacking the president. But the one person who came to their defense was a very president who also calls them out for the times when they promote fake news.

I think it's a reminder that these are not equal opportunity offenders, but he is going after what is best for America. How good it is to have a president who's not a globalist, who doesn't sell off America's greatest asset so that a few multinational corporations can get rich at the expense of American worker, and even tonight, he is fighting for American workers to get paychecks because he is doing what he said he would do. I'm glad he's in that office right now.

HANNITY: And, Dan, I know Washington, we know what they are capable of. Don't waste your money. This money, huge sums of money, needs to go to the people that are impacted, not your pet pork projects.

BONGINO: Sean, my last words are this. D.C., don't screw this up. Everybody is watching. You know it.

HANNITY: All right, thank you both.

All right. Still, more breaking news tonight. FOX News projecting that quid pro quo Joe will win the primaries tonight in Florida, and Illinois. Karl Rove has his whiteboard. I've got my two whiteboards with Karl Rove, I'll ship to him.

I got to get his address. I don't have it. You won't give it to me, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. As we continue tonight, quid pro quo Joe added to his delegate lead, winning the states of Florida and Illinois. Also breaking, President Trump, fait accompli, but record numbers in every state so far. We haven't looked at tonight's tally yet, but he clinched the Republican nomination. A foregone conclusion, but important one nonetheless.

New York Times editorial board is despicably sowing chaos, spreading more fake news about the White House's, well, corona response. That is that President Trump put the so-called paper of record on blast today for their shameless tactics. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They're going to say things that are false like the story that was written yesterday. A lot of people, I don't know, somebody, I think I know who, but they taped the conference call that I had with the governors. It was a good call. I assume somebody is going to tape it. They handed it to various people, and one of it was "The New York Times" and "The New York Times" chose to write totally inaccurately about it. It was a disgraceful thing. It was bad journalism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Another disgusting hit over at MSDNC, state-run conspiracy television. One of their analysts accusing the president of, quote, negligent homicide, voluntary or -- and/or involuntary manslaughter. Pretty unbelievable.

Here with the reaction, the architect, former Bush deputy chief of staff, Fox News contributor, Karl Rove.

So, OK, I've got special stickers for your whiteboard, made up just for you. And I'm sending them.

KARL ROVE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: No, no, no, look, before we get to assumptions, let me show --

(CROSSTALK)

ROVE: I got the whiteboard. It arrived. It finally arrived. The teeny-weeny little itsy-bitsy whiteboard arrived.

But it's really cool. Thank you for the little magnets that go on there like this.

HANNITY: That's from me. No, that is not mine. You are this is fake news. It's fake news.

ROVE: I had your return address, I'll say.

Look, can we talk about The New York Times?

HANNITY: Yes, we can.

ROVE: This is pretty egregious. Mara Gay, who's a member of the editorial board, sends out a tweet in which she says that the president told the governors, quote, you're -- they are on their own. Now, he never had words like that. She is a member of the editorial board. You know, maybe it's the corruption of social media and Twitter that she tweets this out. It's not accurate.

So, the president said, don't wait for us. Grab everything you can locally. Direct purchase, whatever you can get. Get what you can.

Now, Peter Baker, who is a journalist with The New York Times at least had that part of it. He said -- he sent out tweets saying that the president tell the governor not to wait for federal government to look for needed medical equipment in their own. But he didn't go on to say with the president said next, which is, you may be able to get it direct, but we will be backing you up. But go grab what you can locally.

So, The Times, first you got the editorial board member of the times who is totally distorting it. And then you have a respected journalist who is being accurate, but not complete. He should have gone on and put the entire context in there.

But even then, what is the editorial board tweet out? Her own personal views on this. Where is the substance that ought to be there in the time of crisis that we are in? Now is the moment when journalists have a special responsibility to be accurate and full and complete in their coverage.

HANNITY: Let me tell you, but, Karl, this is the same paper that from the get-go said, Trump virus, if you are feeling awful, you know who to blame. And the others, you know, this is his Chernobyl and Katrina and -- you know, and I'm like, wow. It won't take long for the next --

ROVE: Yes.

HANNITY: -- round of, oh, let's bludgeon. It doesn't matter.

I think the worst thing is, Joe Biden saying the travel ban is xenophobic, fear-mongering and hysteria. The day that the president put that in place, the best decision so far.

ROVE: Yes. Well, now that you brought Biden up, you know, looking at the debate, I thought he got the best of Bernie on this, because he had that great line. You know, Italy has the single-payer system. They are not doing too well.

But think about what he said in that debate about the coronavirus and about his own record that was not challenged by the press either into the debate or even afterwards. He said, you know, we did a great job. Well, there was criticism at the time particularly of what he said and said. He said, let's send in the military. We've got to deploy the military.

Well, nobody said where are you going to deploy it and what are we going to do right now? You are insisting that we deploy the military, why and where and to what? And he said, we need to build hospitals, we need to build hospitals. So, exactly where do you want to build the hospital today?

And finally, he said, well, we built hospitals, we built hospitals. No, you built one hospital in Liberia and it took 3,000 U.S. military to do it. He got away with all three of those things. Bernie wasn't going to challenge him --

HANNITY: Karl, let me ask this --

ROVE: -- and neither the people who are questioning him.

HANNITY: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created by the thing, the thing, and he forgot Obama's name. He's doing it -- he's doing a virtual town hall, that's what he does.

ROVE: No, no, no.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: He forgets he's on camera.

ROVE: Exactly, exactly.

HANNITY: You see the presidency up close. Don't you need to be a little more with it?

ROVE: Look, I turned to a friend of mine. We were watching the debate. And I said, you know, it really worries me that we've got a 77-year-old and a 78-year-old. The 78-year-old who just had a heart attack looks like the guy --

HANNITY: A thousand times.

ROVE: -- and ready for the job, yes.

HANNITY: Agree, unbelievable.

ROVE: Thanks again for the teeny-weeny whiteboard. Really. Seriously. Thank you so much.

HANNITY: OK. That is mine. That is Karl Rove --

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: -- right now, Karl Rove.

ROVE: It said Sean's, really nice.

HANNITY: Karl Rove, New York Times, I never thought I would have to say it.

ROVE: I got the little magnet thing, really nice. Thank you.

HANNITY: Oh, good grief, wait until you get my board. You are going to go nuts.

When we come back, how the coronavirus is reportedly impacting John Durham's probe into the origins of the Russia witch hunt.

And plus breaking news, John Solomon, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: New report that because of the coronavirus, the Durham investigation may not wrap up until closer to September.

Here now with the news from Justthenews.com, investigative reporter John Solomon, also news about Michael Flynn -- John.

JOHN SOLOMON, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, first out, Sean, I've heard from multiple justice officials that that report is a spurious, that there is no truth of the coronavirus is having any impact right now on the Durham investigation.

The more important thing of the new documents that have emerged showing what the former Obama officials were saying from the Justice Department in spring of '17 about Mike Flynn simply wasn't true. They weren't looking to prosecute him on the Logan Act, they didn't find him deceptive and most importantly, I think of all the revelations, they did not believe he was an agent of Russia. They had determined that in January of 2017, yet they were going on camera in the spring, summer and fall telling a far different story.

HANNITY: In other words, more vindication for your reporting and what we reported on the show?

SOLOMON: Yes, and for all the good reporters who dug into this we have a lot more to go. I don't think we know the whole story yet, Sean.

HANNITY: Yes, the I.G. report, just read it, and you realize, oh, fake news over here, conspiracy theories, hoaxes and lies and we got it right, when we got more coming.

John Solomon, great job. Thank you.

SOLOMON: Thank you, sir.

HANNITY: All right. We'll always get the truth. We're not the destroy hate Trump media mob. We'll have more truth tomorrow.

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