Graham on what he wants to ask Horowitz about dossier findings
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham reacts to report Barr disagreed with IG's key finding on 'Hannity.'
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," December 2, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
Sean Hannity:
All right, Tucker, thank you. Welcome to "Hannity." We start with a big breaking Fox News alert tonight. A bombshell story surrounding the deep state and the upcoming FISA report, expected out one week from tonight. This might explain everything. Remember, we're supposed to be getting the FISA report in May, June, July, August, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Remember, AG Barr said he expected he would get this report in May. If the report we're learning about tonight is true, we might now have an explanation for the entire holdup.
Look at this. The Washington Post is reporting that the attorney general, Bill Barr, has expressed disagreement with a key finding in the upcoming inspector general report surrounding the origins of the Russia probe. First, that's a good thing, because, remember, that is what the Durham investigation is all about, well, at least the beginnings of that. But that has also now become officially a criminal probe that has expanded into all things FISA and other things. And, apparently, according to my sources tonight, that, while the IG will confirm a ton of damning information, devastating information, on the DOJ, the FBI, the FISA applications, apparently that has been some disagreement, a little unwillingness, of the Obama-appointed inspector general to take the needed steps to say, "One and one equals two," well, in other words, to bluntly say what it is. And by the way, and behind the scenes, I am told there has been a brutal back and forth. You can add simple math, right? Apparently, that line has been used numerous times. The attorney general reportedly believes there was not sufficient basis.
This is where the Durham report comes in to open an investigation into the Trump campaign in 2016. Horowitz allegedly expected to deliver a much different finding on that. Although, that was not his early mandate. His mandate was to look into FISA abuse. Now, this would explain the delay, after delay, after delay, and also the recent leaking that has been going on, which has been rampant. Now, assuming this is true, if the Obama-appointed Horowitz doesn't conclude on the basic issues which we all know to be established fact, premeditated fraud on the FISA court repeatedly, then at the end of the day the AG is signaling that the Durham report is where all the action will be on everything.
Now, we do need to remember a couple important facts here. Remember the inspector general has no power to convene a grand jury, has no power to bring indictments, has no power to bring charges. Durham does have all of that power. And, remember this is not officially a criminal investigation that has expanded into many of the issues that will be in next week's report. And, again, I hear it's very damming just reading the facts. Also, another important thing to remember, Horowitz already concluded both McCabe and Comey lied, that they lacked candor. By the way, that was something that was a big deal when it was a Trump associate. And, by the way, in those two cases, nothing happened. Remember, he made referrals. Nothing happened. The IG doesn't make criminal referrals. He makes referrals to investigate, now funny because lack in candor got people like Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, more recently Roger Stone in tons of trouble. The system is so corrupt, frankly repulsive, we have a dual justice system in this country. And also, don't forget, this is what the attorney general signaled in a recent speech. And I would argue that no attorney general of the United States would ever say this unless he knows something we don't know. Take a listen.
Bill Barr:
Immediately after President Trump won election, opponents inaugurated what they called, "the resistance." And they rallied around an explicit strategy of using every tool and maneuver to sabotage the functioning of the executive branch, and his administration. Now, resistance is the language used to describe insurgency against rule imposed by an occupying military power. This is a very dangerous and, indeed, incendiary notion to import into the politics of a democratic republic.
Sean Hannity:
I'd buckle up as a country. That sounds as serious as it can get. Much more on that straight again. Lindsey Graham -- remember, a week from this Wednesday, he will have Horowitz before his committee in the senate. He will respond exclusively to this developing story tonight. But first, also buckle up. The month of December is about to be one of the most pivotal times in modern American history. Look at this. As we speak, House Democrats, they've been on this quest for three years, racing against the clock, because they want to wrap up their half-assed impeachment Ukrainian coup attempt charade by Christmas. And, meanwhile, many current and former deep-state bureaucrats, they are anxiously awaiting the findings from a real investigation into corruption, and the very real abuse of power.
The Horowitz FISA report will be made public one week from tonight. And now, all of a sudden, oh, a softball interview appears at the Daily Beast. They love me at that paper. The once-disgraced former FBI attorney, Lisa Page, has come out of the shadows to paint herself as an innocent victim who's just trying to fight back against the president's unfounded attacks. Let me educate the so-called journalist, and the mob, and the media. Lisa Page is neither innocent nor a victim. She carried out what was a lengthy affair with a top investigator at the FBI named Peter Strzok. Their personal business is their business, but the two of them inserted their rampant political bias, yes, into highly sensitive top-notch investigations, including the probe into Hillary Clinton's secret server.
And, by the way, you want real obstruction, that would be the bleach bit that deleted subpoenaed emails, et cetera. And, again, the collusion on the campaign against Trump, the dossier. Remember, they were using their work phones, and why Robert Mueller didn't demand that they be handed over and we do a search of all of it is anybody's understand. But anyway, here and Strzok, they were obsessing about their hatred for all things Donald Trump. Remember, the spring of, what, 2016, Page texting the Trump was a loathsome human being, referring to him as a giant bleep. Well, Peter Strzok agreed, texting, "Trump's an idiot. Hillary Clinton should win 100 million to zero." Smelly Wal-Mart Trump supporters. Over the course of thousands of texts, the unhinged, well, FBI so-called agents bonding over their compulsive hatred for Donald Trump, their plot to stop him from first every becoming President, and on August 8th, only eight days after Jim Comey opened his counter intelligence investigation against the Trump Campaign after I would argue that they gave Hillary considerations that no American would every get, Lisa Page sent this desperate text to her best friend, her BFF lover, "Trump's not ever going to become president, right? Strzok texts back, "No. No, he's not. We will stop it." Just a few short days later, Strzok telling page, "I want to believe the path that you threw out for consideration in Andy's office, that there's no way he gets elected, but I'm afraid we can't take that risk. It's like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you're 40. We'll stop him." Insurance policy, those aren't texts between two low-level employees in the Federal government.
Those were two of the most powerful individuals working at the highest levels of the FBI and involved in the rigged investigation into Hillary Clinton, a massive corruption scandal in and of itself. In fact, Strzok was the lead investigator in the Clinton email probe. Remember, he is supposedly interrogating, you know, Hillary Clinton, but she gets to bring two other people that were involved in the case for support. Nobody else is given that kind of consideration. And, by the way, remember they changed the words, yeah, to not be the legal standard. Anyway, also he was leading the counter intel investigation Operation Crossfire Hurricane into the Trump Campaign only days after their exonerated their favorite candidate that should win 100 million to zero. And Lisa Page was the top FBI lawyer, close advisor to the deputy director of the FBI Andrew McCabe. And, in August of 2016, the pair was actively discussing ways to use those powerful positions to stop Donald Trump, upend his presidency with their insurance policy at the ready, in the unlikely event that Trump beat their favorite candidate, Hillary Clinton. And it was all done in official capacity, using their work phones. Lisa Page is not a victim. She resigned in disgrace. Her lover, Peter Strzok, fired by the FBI along with all these other guys fired, resigning, demoted. And Mueller's former pit bull, Andrew Weissman, long history of locking up innocent people, prosecutorial abuse, hiding exculpatory evidence. If you want the proof, read Cindy Powell's book, "Licensed to Lie." He's sticking up for his fellow Trump hater, saying, "She did nothing wrong." Wow, shocking. The deep state -- well, they support each other.
Andrew Weissman:
Lisa Page has done nothing wrong. She's -- has a First Amendment right to speak, even as a federal employee. And so it's really such a fiction to think that jurors, judges, federal employees don't have political views. The issue is whether they act on them. People act on principle all the time. Jurors do it, judges do it, federal prosecutors do it. And it's simply not the case to think that personal views are going to affect one a prosecutor does.
Sean Hannity:
Pretty amazing. His work's at MSDNC, the conspiracy theory channel. Amazing how Weissman has suddenly turned into the great defender of civil liberties after leading a baseless, well, witch hunt into President Trump. As you can see, clearly the deep state is in panic mode ahead of not only the FISA report, but the Durham criminal investigation, and it now all begins to make sense. The timing of Page’s interview is not a coincidence. Neither is the person who interviewed her. On FoxNews.com, they point out Page used an abusively biased Trump-hating writer to break her silence ahead of the IG report. No softball interview is going to ever cover up the sordid actions, the revealing political bias in her texts with Peter Strzok. And as Sara Carter put it, her actions, well, damaged the FBI and damaged this country. Here with more, Fox News investigative reporter Sara Carter. Okay, I want you to comment on this, but we just have this other breaking news, which explains a lot. Well, first of all Durham was appointed -- this is important for everybody to know -- for the purpose of looking into the origins of the Russia witch hunt. So, that’s separate and apart from what Horowitz’s mandate was, so whatever the disagreement on that doesn’t matter that much to me. Premeditated fraud on a FISA court, though -- the evidence is incontrovertible at this point.
Sara Carter:
Absolutely, Sean, and what people have to realize is that Durham has had so much leeway. He has a much wider scope than Horowitz had. This is why he’s been traveling overseas. He traveled to Italy to speak with Italian intelligence officials, as well as to London. He has a much wider scope; he’s able to subpoena more documents; he’s able to subpoena people to come in and testify; and he’s able to empanel a grand jury. So, obviously, John Durham has found something that is so significant that it shifted from an administrative review to an actual criminal probe. This is what’s so important here. Horowitz is going to have a devastating report, and this is the reason why, Sean, people like Lisa Page, former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith as well, as well as people like Peter Strzok, James Comey, John Brennan, and others have come out of the woodwork now because they’re trying to change the narrative. What they’re trying to do is control the narrative because they know within a week, we, the public, are going to see this report, and it is going to be extremely damning.
Sean Hannity:
All right, Sara, thank you very much for that report. Now, we’re going to have more on the upcoming FISA abuse report released one week from today. Lindsey Graham will join us exclusively, but first tonight, I do have issue a warning once again. We, the American people, will be forced to endure yet another week of the Democrats’ mind-numbing impeachment -- well, Ukrainian impeachment coup charade and more of the Schiff show. In what has to be one of the worst relay races ever, that corrupt, compromised, congenital liar Schiff just passed the baton. The circus now goes into Judiciary chairman Jerry Nadler’s, well, realm, if you will, and he’s sprinting to get this across the finish line before Christmas. It’s a sight for sore eyes, total sham, a blatant political stunt, but case in the point, the first official impeachment proceedings scheduled, oh, while the president is overseas. He won’t even be in the country to defend himself.
In a scathing beatdown, the White House counsel, Pat Cipollone, telling Democrats, “You scheduled this initial hearing, no doubt purposely, during the time that you know the president will be out of the country attending the NATO leaders’ meeting in London.” Cipollone continued, “As you know, this baseless and highly partisan inquiry violates all past historical precedent, fact; basic due process rights, fact; fundamental fairness, fact. We understand from rumors and press reports, though not from any notice provided in your letter or in official notice of the hearing, that the hearing will consist of an academic discussion of law professors. We understand this to mean that your initial hearing will include no fact witnesses at all.” That’s just like the Schiff show. We had opinion people; we had hearsay people. We had one fact witness that said, “Yeah, I don’t want a quid pro quo. What do you want from Ukraine? Nothing at all.” Okay, so we’re getting random leftwing academics lecturing all of us on the virtues of hating Trump and impeachment. Is this an actual proceeding, or just the tabloid, Morton Downey-like, Jerry Springer TV talk show, daytime? Here with the full report, Capitol Hill senior producer Chad Pergram is with us. Okay, so we’re going to have a talk show? I wonder if they’re going to be throwing chairs, the academics that are offering their opinions on impeachment. I wonder if Alan Dershowitz will be invited, Chad.
Chad Pergram:
Well, Sean, impeachment is getting real on Capitol Hill. Just tonight, the Intelligence Committee Democrats completed their version of the impeachment report. Impeachment falls under the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee; this report could serve as the basis to write articles of impeachment. Now, members can review the report now, but the committee won't publish the report until about this time tomorrow night.
Republicans aren't buying the Democratic report; Republicans preemptively published a pre-buttal today. Republicans argue that November's hearings produced no evidence of an impeachable offense. Republicans contend the Democrats base their allegations on hearsay and speculation. Now, the House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff -- he shot back that the GOP report was intended for an audience of one and ignores what he termed “voluminous evidence of alleged misdeeds.” The Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing is Wednesday. The White House says it will not participate, but today I asked a senior administration source if officials may try to work out an in-between or half-measure; I was told, “Stay tuned.”
Republicans want Schiff to testify at the hearing, but instead the hearing features four law professors. Now, it's unclear when Democrats could actually try to impeach the president. Democrats just today announced the House will remain in session almost until Christmas. The House voted to impeach President Clinton on the Saturday before Christmas in 1998, but do Democrats have the votes for impeachment? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a master at reading her caucus. If Pelosi has the votes, she'll move to impeach; if she doesn't, impeachment could wait until the new year. A member of Pelosi’s leadership team today told Fox that the backlog of bills in the House works against a December impeachment vote, and the Democrat noted that impeachment, quote, “doesn't fit in the holiday spirit,” close quote. Sean, back to you.
Sean Hannity:
All right, Chad Pergram. By the way, Hitchhiker's Guide to Everything in Life; Chad Pergram. All right, as the Democrats’ impeachment coup now unfolds, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Doug Collins -- by the way, who should be appointed the position for the Senate in the great state of Georgia; I've no idea what the Republican governor of Georgia is doing. I'll get to it in a second. But anyway, Doug Collins, who’s turned into a rock star, is demanding that a central corrupt figure in this entire ordeal, the corrupt, compromised, cowardly, congenital liar Adam Schiff, be made to testify.
One note about Congressman Collins. He would be the single best choice to fill that Senate seat vacated by the retiring senator -- a good guy, somebody I’ve known for years. He has some health, Johnny Isakson. We wish him well. He is a leading conservative voice -- Doug Collins -- in the House; he has singlehandedly helped spearhead the GOP's impeachment coup resistance with great, great courage and conviction, unlike so many others. I don't know why the governor of Georgia -- I consider it my second home -- Brian Kemp is appointing what appears to be an untested big Republican Romney donor described by many as a RINO. Now, we've invited Governor Kemp on radio and TV to explain this decision. Why appoint a huge Romney supporter, not a Trump supporter? Some groups this person is associated with raise a lot of questions. He’s declined our multiple invitations. He can't find five minutes either today or tomorrow.
Meanwhile, back in the swamp, the Judiciary Committee chairman, Jerry Nadler, has a stranglehold on the impeachment proceeding as he runs his talk show this week. Byron York, in a deadly column in The Washington Examiner, points out this has always been a bad-faith impeachment. Many Democrats wanted to impeach Trump from the get-go. Frustrated at their inability to get it done, they jumped on their last best hope, taking every shortcut to ensure their preferred result, racing to beat the political deadline imposed by their party's presidential contest.
Two key things now stand in the way of the Democrats’ political hit job. One, Democrats in swing districts; they're feeling the heat as public support for impeachment is seeing a massive decline; and two, this decline in support might have something to do with the fact that there’s zero evidence of any wrongdoing. There was no quid pro quo like Joe and his zero-experience millionaire son Hunter, which, by the way, has been echoed many times by the president of Ukraine, including his most recent interview again this weekend with Time magazine, Zelensky saying, “Look, I never talked to the president from a position of quid pro quo. I have no idea why you people are doing this.” Well, the answer, President Zelensky, is, well, there’s corruption in this country like corruption you inherited, and by the way, look at what 1998 was like. Let's listen to Congressman Jerry Nadler railing against impeachment. You might remember this. Same guy, 1998.
Jerry Nadler:
-- it does not earn the confidence of the American people, then any action we take, especially if we seek to overturn the result of a free election, would be viewed with great suspicion and could divide our nation for years to come. We do not need a decade of candidates running for office accusing each other of railroading a democratically elected president out of office or participating in a thinly veiled coup d’état. And one of the reasons we all feel so angry about what they are doing is that they are ripping from us the -- they are ripping us under our votes. They are telling us that our votes don't count.
Jerry Nadler:
There must never be a narrowly voted impeachment or an impeachment substantially supported by one of our major political parties and largely opposed by the other.
Jerry Nadler:
The American people have heard the allegations against the president and they overwhelmingly oppose impeaching him. They elected President Clinton. They still support him. We have no right to overturn the considered judgement of the American people.
Jerry Nadler:
This partisan coup d'etat will go down in infamy in the history of this nation.
Sean Hannity:
That was 1998, Jerry Nadler, 2019 Jerry Nadler is now chairing the committee to impeach the president along party lines based on no evidence. I have a lot more, by the way, on our breaking news. This is huge. The battle between Barr and the inspector general on the origins of the Russia witch hunt. We’ll have Senator Lindsey Graham joining us. First joining us Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, the author of "Witch Hunt," Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett, author of "The Next Red Wave, American Center for Law and Justice executive director, spokesperson and member of the Trump legal team, Jordan Sekulow. Matt Gaetz, I'll start with you. You can go to any aspect of any of this so we have a bunch of professors I wonder if they'll throw chairs like it's a Jerry Springer show because anything they have to say is frankly meaningless to any trial that would ever take place in the Senate.
Matt Gaetz:
Democrats having seen poll numbers of impeachment diminish over the last two weeks now believe what will save their case is a parade of law professors to lecture to the American people that really it's not what the American people want that matter it's like reforming our asylum laws, like passing USMCA, or lowering prescription drug prices, we should all really be incensed by what has captivated Adam Schiff and the radical left, but I still remember, Sean, when the radical left told us that if we elected Donald Trump it would strengthen our enemies and weaken our alliances. Well, as I see what happen -- has happened today you've got ISIS with their caliphate crumbled and you have President Trump going to London to a NATO that is at its strongest point possibly in history because President Trump went outside the box and got our friends to pay their fair share. It's that same out of the box thinking and approach that's why he's getting impeached now and it's a total sham.
Sean Hannity:
Gregg Jarrett, okay. The inspector general -- his original mandate was FISA abuse. Okay. So, he comes to a different conclusion on the origins of the Russia witch hunt. He has no power to convene a grand jury or put forth indictments and prosecute criminal cases. But Durham does, and Durham's getting into all of that but that was his mandate, was it not?
Gregg Jarrett:
It is and I'm sure that Barr's opinion is informed by John Durham's investigation and the results so far. As I argued in both my books, you have to have two things to launch an investigation by the FBI of, in this case, Donald Trump. You have to have a reasonable basis to believe that a crime is committed and second of all, you have to have specific articulable facts of that crime. The FBI had none of those things. They had just a couple of things. They had Papadopoulos hearing a rumor that Russians had Hillary Clinton's emails. It's not a crime to hear a rumor. Second, they had a dossier, but it was completely unverified. They even went to Christopher Steele who wrote it and offered him $50,000 to corroborate any of it. He could not. So, this investigation Barr is correct should never have been launched in July of 2016 and nine months later Comey admitted in his private testimony they still had no evidence so the special counsel should not have been appointed.
Sean Hannity:
Unbelievable. Jordan, your take on it legally.
Jordan Sekulow:
Well, I think legally here remember it is Attorney General Barr, not the inspector general who directs the Department of Justice through the U.S. attorneys to bring criminal charges. The inspector general issues a report about wrongdoing. So, that's point one. If the attorney general has a disagreement guess who will win out the day? He can issue a note in the report that he disagrees with this and then instruct his U.S. attorneys like Durham to move along with prosecutions that they see fit or grand juries that they see fit. But Sean, one thing I want to note tonight, on Wednesday when we hear from these four law professors, I was waiting all day. When was Jerry Nadler going to release this list because I had suspicions about who would be on here. Well, Noah Feldman. He was one of the first people, he's a professor at Harvard law.
Sean Hannity:
Okay.
Jordan Sekulow:
To say that Ukraine, the call was a crime. You've got Pamela Karlan, she was one of 42 legal scholars who signed a letter before Trump took office attacking President Trump. Michael Gerhard on record advocating for impeachment. And only one witness --
Sean Hannity:
So, all right, so --
Jordan Sekulow:
--- Jonathan Turley.
Sean Hannity:
Okay.
Jordan Sekulow:
Saying not impeachment.
Sean Hannity:
By the way, Matt Gaetz, I heard that you're an interloper from apparently the governor's office.
Matt Gaetz:
Interloper?
Sean Hannity:
Apparently. That's what they're saying in Georgia about you. We’ll talk tomorrow. Lindsey Graham weighs in next on our big breaking news and the no malarkey tour disaster for Joe.
[commercial break]
Sean Hannity:
All right. Breaking just moments ago from the Washington Post, the attorney general of the United States, Bill Barr, has expressed disagreement with the IG's findings while surrounding the origins of the Russia probe. Now, that was not his original mandate. That is the mandate of John Durham. Now, if true it looks like well, this explains a lot, doesn't it? Here for reaction to this huge development Senator Lindsey Graham. We expect -- you broke it right here on this show one week from today we'll get the IG report on FISA abuse, which is supposed to be FISA abuse.
Lindsey Graham:
Right.
Sean Hannity:
Durham was appointed as I understood it for the origins of the Russia probe but also that has now officially become a criminal investigation expanding also into FISA abuse and other issues. The inspector general has no power to convene a grand jury. He has no power -- well, I mean, for example he pointed out McCabe and Comey lack candor, so nothing happened as a result of that. But here's what I want to ask you. Is it not incontrovertible that there were multiple warnings to the FBI and DOJ not to use the Clinton bought-and-paid-for Russian dossier, that it was unverifiable, and that there was a bias of Christopher Steele, and a memo called the Grassley-Graham memo said the bulk of information for those applications was, in fact, the unverified dossier. Isn't that -- isn't that now established fact in this case?
Lindsey Graham:
I believed it -- I believe it to be so, but Horowitz -- we'll see what he says, but the first thing I want to say is be wary of the Washington Post and New York Times reporting on what's coming up with Horowitz. They've been trying over time to spin this thing to diminish its effect, to downplay it. I can tell you without any hesitation, Attorney General Barr has every confidence in the world in Mr. Horowitz. He believes he's done a good job, a professional job, and he appreciates the work and the effort he's put in to disclosing abuse at the Department of Justice. Now, here's what I do know. In December 2017, Sean, McCabe testified in the House, according to the House intel memo, that, without the Steele dossier, there would have been no warrant issued. So, what I'm going to ask Mr. Horowitz, "Do you agree with that, without the dossier there'd be no warrant? Is the dossier reliable to this day? Did they know that Steele had a bias? Did they ignore it? When did they first try to verify it, before they got the warrant or after?" And here's what I think we're going to find, that they pulled a fast one on the FISA court, quite frankly mislead and defrauded the FISA court. I think that's what you're going to find.
Sean Hannity:
Okay, so you'll have him in your committee one week from this Wednesday. We get the report --
Lindsey Graham:
Right.
Sean Hannity:
-- one week from now. I want to be very clear, though. I think some of this would explain the delay aspects of all of this. One -- but I've been told clearly the facts are devastating as he lays out the facts. Now, he may not make the conclusions, but that wouldn't be his purview anyway.
Lindsey Graham:
What -- number one, I have every confidence that he's going to be fair to everybody, the people investigating, and the public, and the Trump campaign, and all of us. But here's the point. If there would have been no warrant without the dossier, the question for me and everybody else is, "Well, how reliable is the dossier? Did they know it was unreliable? When did they first try to verify it? Before the warrant or after the warrant? Were they warned that Christopher Steele was out to get Trump? Did they ignore those warnings?" If all of that proves to be true, it's devastating. Every American should be concerned, and the FISA court should do something about it. And if they accept this as okay behavior, then maybe we should get rid of the FISA court.
Sean Hannity:
Okay, agreed. And, by the way, I would hate to see that, actually, because --
Lindsey Graham:
Me, too.
Sean Hannity:
-- there's a lot of evil in the world, and you know what, there's a lot of it. There's evil. I don't care if it's abroad or domestic, we have enemies domestic and foreign. We got to get to the bottom of this. My major concern in all of this is Horowitz already referred, you know, for further investigation, McCabe and Comey for lying.
Lindsey Graham:
Right.
Sean Hannity:
Didn't Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, recently Roger Stone run into issues involving lack of candor that led to guilty admissions, convictions?
Lindsey Graham:
Yeah, so it -- less -- he referred people for prosecution. Comey, they decided not to prosecute, based on what -- the Clinton email investigation. I trust Barr to be fair, too. So, I don't know what's in the report, but here's what I do believe. If there was a counterintelligence investigation of the Trump Campaign, and there was credible evidence to open the investigation, why did they not tell Trump? When Diane Feinstein was found to have somebody in her office they believed to be working for communist China, they told Diane and she fired the person. If they're investigating a campaign, and they don't tell the campaign about the foreign influence, then that truly is spying.
Sean Hannity:
Here's what I've been told before the show, that -- and this is what I was told numerous times, that the facts that the IG will put before the American people will shock the conscience. They will be devastating to many people. But it will be up to Barr and Durham, because he doesn't have them.
Lindsey Graham:
100 percent.
Sean Hannity:
It will be up to the attorney general --
Lindsey Graham:
100 percent.
Sean Hannity:
-- and Durham, and his report, and now a criminal investigation to actually hold them accountable. Which, by the way, no inspector general has the ability to convene a grand jury, make charges, and prosecute, do they?
Lindsey Graham:
Exactly. He's not a prosecutor. He's looking to find out if the system got off the reals, how to protect it or how to change it in the future, how to make sure it never happens again. Well, the best way to make sure that the FISA court’s not defrauded in the future is hold those people accountable who actually did the defrauding now.
Sean Hannity:
Okay, last question. Is it then fair to say that there will be a map that will be laid out by Horowitz for the attorney general for Durham? And they will also -- we all -- by the way, we're told that their investigation is far more advanced than anybody knew at this point.
Lindsey Graham:
I think that's a good way to look at it. You should look at this investigation sort of as a roadmap of where you might go --
Sean Hannity:
Okay.
Lindsey Graham:
-- criminally.
Sean Hannity:
Well, whatever differences there are, I guess the person that decides would be the attorney general, will be Mr. Durham.
Lindsey Graham:
I just want in with this one thought. If they're investigating my campaign, and they think somebody on my campaign is influenced by a foreign government, and they don't tell me, and they keep spying on my campaign, I would be really pissed. Every politician in America should be worried about this. If, in fact, they opened up a counterintelligence investigation of a Trump campaign, and they never told him about it, then that truly is spying, and every politician in America should be worried.
Sean Hannity:
Last point. A counterintelligence investigation has to start with the president. That president would have been Obama. We're not done. This is just the beginning.
Lindsey Graham:
It's just -- it's just beginning.
Sean Hannity:
The mystery begins to unfold finally, Monday. I hope it's not delayed again. Senator, thank you.
Lindsey Graham:
Okay.
Sean Hannity:
We appreciate your time. Also, tonight, Hunter Biden fighting to keep his finances secret. Fox News chief breaking news correspondent, Trace Gallagher, he's live in our, well, newsroom in New York tonight, I see. Wow, look at this. With the very latest, he's bicoastal.
Trace Gallagher:
Yep.
Sean Hannity:
What's going on?
Trace Gallagher:
In New York where it's snowing. Yeah, Sean, it's unclear exactly what's inside Hunter Biden's financial documents, but Biden and his attorneys are arguing that the information would be used by us, the media, to cause him, quote, "undue prejudice, annoyance, embarrassment, or oppression." That's a big laundry list of possibilities, and yet his attorneys also argued that none of the documents have anything to do with Biden's ongoing paternity lawsuit. The mother of the child is demanding $11,000 in legal fees, as well as child support. But, in court documents, Hunter Biden, who lives in California, is indicating that he's taken on significant debts since he divorced his wife back in 2017. Biden also reportedly says that he's no monthly income since May of this year. Experts say the documents could give us more insight into exactly what happened to the money he received as a board member for the Ukrainian gas company, Burisma. Finally, we should note that moments before a hearing on this case today, three lawyers representing Hunter Biden withdrew from the case, citing irreconcilable conflict. Sean.
Sean Hannity:
All right, Trace Gallagher, thank you. All right, so today, 337 days till you, we, the people, we get to make the final decision. This election -- and, by the way, look at the -- Biden's biggest opponents. Well, he continues to be himself, and his campaign has gone from bloopers to blunders, and weirdness to just downright bizarre during an appearance with his wife. The quote, "no malarkey tour," in Iowa over the weekend, Biden had, well, I guess the only way to describe it is a biting moment, literally. Take a look.
Jill Biden:
And when they cut to the president of the United States –
[laughter]
Sean Hannity:
Did he just bite her? I guess so. All right, but it gets more bizarre. A resurfaced clip from June 2017, look at this. There's Joe Biden in his speech, talking about his time as a lifeguard, and his harry, well, blond, bleached legs. Ask yourself as you watch this, does this scare you if he becomes president?
Joe Biden:
And, by the way, you know, I sit on the stand, and it get hot. I got a lot of -- I got hairy legs that turned -- that turned blond in the sun. And the kids used to come up and reach into the pool and rub my leg down, so it was straight, and then watch the hair come back up again, and look at it. So, I learned about roaches. I learned about kids jumping on my lap, and I've loved kids jumping on my lap.
Sean Hannity:
What the hell did he just say there? Okay, I never do this on this show. Can you rerack that? I want to play that again. See if you can ascertain what he's actually saying, and what that means based on everything else we know like Joe 30330, which meant nothing. Take a look again.
Joe Biden:
And, by the way, you know, I sit on the stand, and it get hot. I got a lot of -- I got hairy legs that turned -- that turned blond in the sun. And the kids used to come up and reach into the pool and rub my leg down, so it was straight, and then watch the hair come back up again, and look at it. So I learned about roaches. I learned about kids jumping on my lap, and I’ve loved kids jumping on my lap.
Sean Hannity:
Wow, okay. If you can interpret that, you’re a far better person that I am. This is the Democratic so-called frontrunner. This is the man Democrats think can beat Trump. Well, is this the man you want to be your president? Just when you think Biden can’t get any worse, can’t put his campaign in any more damage control, Biden finds, well, a way to sink even lower. If he lost a fastball, he never had one. I don’t even think he has an underhand pitch at this point, because the fact is Biden doesn’t have much to run on. And by the way, it’s gotten so bad that he’s flat-out making things up, like falsely claiming that he spent time with North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un. The only problem is he didn’t. Take a look.
Joe Biden:
You’re going to have assume that position the moment the elect are sworn in on January 20th, and know the rest of the world knows that person -- in this case, me -- and that I know them. Putin has no illusions about whether I know him or not. Kim Jong-Un has no [unintelligible] that I know him or not. The same with the president of China, Xi Jingping. I spent a lot of time with these folks. They know, they know, and they know I know.
Sean Hannity:
“They know, and they know I know.” I bet the [unintelligible] -- yeah, you gave them $150 billion. That was dumb. Yeah, and you gave Vladimir more flexibility. Let’s release those transcripts. Think about it. We also have Biden on tape admitting, “You’re not getting the billion dollars unless you, of course, fire the prosecutor, that I know your prosecutor is investigating my zero-experience son, who’s being paid millions. You’ve got six hours. Son of a B, they did it.” Making gaffe after gaffe, it’s quid, and it’s pro, and it’s quo with Joe, and then you’ve got the Obama-Biden record: 13 million more Americans on food stamps; eight million more in poverty; the lowest labor participation rate since the ‘70s; the worst recovery since the ‘40s; and the lowest home-ownership rate, oh, in 50 years. He’s trapped, he’s tired, he’s in big trouble, and voters apparently are tuning out sleepy, creepy, crazy Uncle Joe 30330. A Politico reporter detailed a remarkable exchange at an Iowa diner, where a farmer was literally sitting next to Biden and had no idea who he was, as the reporter tweeted, quote, “Well, I asked the guy if he just wasn’t a fan of the Bidens. He says, ‘Who?’ The man never heard of Joe Biden.” I guess that’s why Joe Biden is on a last-ditch desperation bus tour, the malarkey No Malarkey express in the Hawkeye State. In 337 days, thank God, we, the people -- you, the American people -- you get to shock the world again. It’s all in your hands. When we come back, if you think being called deplorable, smelly Walmart shopper clinging to God above or Bibles or Second Amendment rights or religion makes us bad, wait till you hear what Trump supporters were called this time. Dan Bongino, Ari Fleischer -- they react to that straight ahead.
[commercial break]
Sean Hannity:
All right, the psychotic hate-Trump media mob isn’t taking a break from the 24/7, their rage-fueled psychosis. On Sunday, yes, MSDNC conspiracy theory channel Area 51 Rachel Maddow friend Joy Reid had some really nasty things to say about Trump supporters. Joy, this isn’t very nice. Take a look.
Joy Reid:
It isn’t just a pejorative to say that it’s a cult. It’s a -- there’s a lot of evidence that is a racial and religious cult of personality in which his base is solidly among the white evangelicals that almost worship him and say he’s the chosen one of God.
Sean Hannity:
Pretty unbelievable. Also, tonight, the first lady Melania Trump’s annual Christmas decorations once again, of course, sparking outrage and anger from the mob, one Daily Beast reporter saying, “Melania Trump’s joyless Christmas decorations will haunt your nightmares.” Here with reaction, FOX News contributors Ari Fleischer, Dan Bongino. Good to see you both. Ari, if Melania reads books to young children, she gets attacked. Melania Trump puts up Christmas decorations; she gets attacked. It’s never-ending. I don't remember that happening to Michelle --
Ari Fleischer:
How many --
Sean Hannity:
-- except for when she said, “For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country.”
Ari Fleischer:
Yeah. Sean, this is what I find so distressing about the atmosphere today, and, you know, one thing I’ve always tried to be in politics is fair, fair-minded, and to give my critics or people who oppose my thoughts the benefit of the doubt that they're good people with good motive but once you start talking about people who disagree with you being in cults, this is what is so divisive and harmful to America. I don't view the people who oppose President Trump with evil. That's their point of view. They're entitled to it. They should afford the same respect to people who support the president and particularly his wife. It's just out of bounds to have these kinds of criticisms against her. You know, where are all the women's magazines that used to have first ladies on the cover? They don't grace their covers with Melania, do they?
Sean Hannity:
You know, Dan Bongino, I look at, for example, I'm a Christian. I always think Christians are kind of attacked and that's why I kind of like Kanye's new album and his bravery because he says, yeah, I want to be a better person. To me it's like you're -- okay, I want help. I need help. That's how I view Christianity. Everyone thinks for some reason that Christians are perfect. They're not. Nobody is. And what's amazing about this everybody has that. If you're a Christian, you do believe -- this isn't about race. You believe we're all children of God created by the same Father. You believe in his son, Jesus. Okay. That's the -- there's integrated church, more predominantly, you know, depending on area demographics might have more one race than another but it's the same brotherhood and belief, isn't it?
Dan Bongino:
Yeah, absolutely. Amen to that, Sean. I'm with you. You know, I'm a sinner and I feel like I was saved a long time ago. I am as far from perfect as any human being is on this planet. And you would think, you know I must say Ari's one of the nicest guys I've ever met at Fox along with you, Sean. He's much nicer than me. I just don't see -- he really is but I just don't see the left that way. I appreciate that he tries to find the good in people but maybe it's the skeptic in me, Sean. I've had that beaten out of me after having run for office a couple of times myself and watched what the left and the media does to people. I'm not saying there aren't good people out there on the left. There are. I mean, it would be ridiculous to say as much, but the percentage of good people left amongst the radical left is almost infinitesimally small. I mean, who attacks Christmas like Christmas decorations? Like do you realize what kind of a lunatic you have to be to find something wrong with Christmas decorations? That's like finding something wrong with the Big Mac or something. I mean, what's wrong with these people?
Sean Hannity:
Ari, do you want to respond to that?
Ari Fleischer:
Well, there's nothing wrong with the Big Mac.
Sean Hannity:
I love Big Macs. Stop attacking. I prefer the Quarter Pounder with cheese, though.
Ari Fleischer:
I am all for going after your opponents in politics. That's part of the American tradition. That's how democracy gets stronger and we shall fight about ideas, fight about personalities. And we've always been a noisy democracy. People have always said nasty things about each other. But somehow in America we've always kept it within the bounds. We always kept it within the 20-yard lines. We don't like --
Sean Hannity:
I disagree. You know, Ari? I don't think they were ever fair to George Bush.
Ari Fleischer:
That's why it's so important that we keep going.
Sean Hannity:
I thought they were vicious to Bush.
Ari Fleischer:
Well, no. They were vicious to Bush and face it, Sean, a lot of conservatives were vicious to Obama and a lot more people have been vicious to Trump. We've been in a pretty bad cycle over the last 10, 15 years.
Sean Hannity:
All right. Thank you both.
Ari Fleischer:
I try to break that cycle because I think it's important.
Sean Hannity:
Thank you both. All right. New evidence. The unearthed tonight by the BBC raising more doubts about Prince Andrew and his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, Orgy Island, Lolita Express. This report shocking. Next.
[commercial break]
Sean Hannity:
All right. Prince Andrew a lot more questions to answer tonight after the BBC aired its explosive interview with one of Jeffrey Epstein's accusers. Trace Gallagher has the very latest on this unfolding saga not -- he was caught in his interview in what five, six, seven lies, specific lies?
Trace Gallagher:
Well, yeah. This was the first U.K. interview by Virginia Giuffre, Sean, formerly known as Virginia Roberts. She told the BBC when she was 17, she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, forced to have sex with his friends, including Prince Andrew, who denies it. Here's what she said.
Virginia Giuffre:
I'm calling BS on this because that's what it is. He knows what happened.
Trace Gallagher:
Yeah. She also claimed she went dancing with Prince Andrew. Watch.
Virginia Giuffre:
This guy was sweating all over me, like his sweat was like it was raining basically everywhere and I was just like oh, grossed out from it but I knew I have to keep him happy because that's what Jeffrey and Ghislaine would've expected from me.
Trace Gallagher:
The prince said he couldn't sweat because he had a gland problem. Ghislaine was Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's girlfriend, and the BBC reports that in 2015 when allegations of the prince having sex with Virginia Roberts broke, she sent an early morning email to the prince saying she had information about that woman.
Sean Hannity:
We’ll never be the media mob. Let not your heart be troubled. The news continues. Laura Ingraham.
Laura Ingraham:
Hannity, you have a good Thanksgiving?
Sean Hannity:
I fried my turkey. Do you want me to put it online? Everyone else lives their life online. Why does --
Laura Ingraham:
No.
Sean Hannity:
-- everybody think that everybody wants to see the pictures of every aspect of their life? I don’t post anything --
Laura Ingraham:
I have a question.
Sean Hannity:
-- about my life.
Laura Ingraham:
I know. I know. Your stuff is mostly about politics --
Sean Hannity:
It’s called work.
Laura Ingraham:
-- and occasional humor, which I like.
Sean Hannity:
I don’t think -- doesn’t anyone really give a rip -- oh --
Laura Ingraham:
No.
Sean Hannity:
-- here’s me with my dog.
Laura Ingraham:
No. No. No.
Sean Hannity:
Here’s me doing this.
Laura Ingraham:
Occasionally, I’ve done a dog, but very rarely. But Hannity, I do notice that people put now on Twitter, and I’m sure I’ve offended this rule, that belongs on Instagram. Instagram and Facebook are not Twitter. And I have to listen to that kind of unspoken rule and perhaps --
Sean Hannity:
All right, can I just tell you --
Laura Ingraham:
-- we all need to. Yes.
Sean Hannity:
-- I gave it up to my staff. I don’t even have access to any of it. Anything that I post --
Laura Ingraham:
I know. Well, you couldn’t be trusted. Yes.
Sean Hannity:
-- I have to ask permission of my own staff.
Laura Ingraham:
That was -- that was very smart because you could not be trusted.
Sean Hannity:
Because I would stay up late, you know, have a couple of cocktails.
Laura Ingraham:
Nor should I trust myself.
Sean Hannity:
It’s three in the morning.
Laura Ingraham:
All right.
Sean Hannity:
I’m an insomniac.
Laura Ingraham:
All right. All right. All right.
Sean Hannity:
Oh, let me start a fight with Humpty Dumpty or Jimmy Kimmel.
Laura Ingraham:
All right. I got a show -- I got a show to do. They tell me I have a show to do. This is more fun, though. All right, Hannity.
Sean Hannity:
All right, have a good show.
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