Victor Davis Hanson on how radicals are driving the Democrats' hard-left turn
Hoover Institution senior fellow Victor Davis Hanson, author of 'The Case for Trump,' weighs in on 'Hannity.'
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," February 22, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Welcome to “Hannity” again tonight.
We have so much breaking news all over the place, at out of Virginia, Vietnam, the swamp Washington, D.C. where Mueller's witch-hunt will soon officially be over and spoiler alert -- no collusion. And we learned earlier today there will not be a report next week.
Maybe someone actually figured out that an extremely important summit about world peace, about the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula actually taking place in Vietnam next week. Not a good time. We, by the way, will be reporting from Vietnam all next week. We have more of that in a minute.
But, first, we turn to our top story out of Chicago once again. Embattled "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, he is still proclaiming his innocence after being formally accused of orchestrating what is an elaborate hate crime hoax and charged with a felony.
And Smollett posted bond, he went directly to the set of "Empire". It is reported he told the cast and crew, quote: I swear to God I did not do.
But according to TMZ, many of his co-stars, they are not buying it and they are bleeping furious. And today, producers announced that Smollett's role on "Empire" has been cut from the final two episodes.
Now, Jussie Smollett's lawyers, they are correct, he must be assumed innocent -- presumption of innocence before being proven guilty. With that said, the evidence against him as presented by the Chicago police yesterday and others is now overwhelming and frankly beginning to border on incontrovertible.
And according to prosecutors, Smollett paid two brothers thousands of dollars to stage a homophobic assault against the actor on the streets of Chicago using a noose, bleach, all while wearing red MAGA hats, "Make America Great Again" hats and ski masks. Both of those individuals have been testifying both before the grand jury and police against Smollett.
And as can you see right there that video, evidence shows that pair buying the items used allegedly in the assault. Surveillance also shows the brothers arrival at the scene of the incident phone records indicate Smollett called the brothers both before and right after this staged attack and text exchanges smell out how Smollett solicited their help.
And perhaps the most damning and most puzzling piece of evidence, he paid the accomplices with a check, kind of, aka Jerry Springer.
Now, naturally the spin has already started. Smollett allegedly is trying to tell the police he had an untreated drug problem. Texts indicate that, in fact, the actor may have purchased the party drug known as "Molly" or ecstasy from one of the brothers involved in this hoax. So, is he saying the drugs made him do it but I didn't do it? Well, except ecstasy or "Molly" has never been known to cause any hate crime hoax.
And, meanwhile, conspiracy TV, MSNBC, they are touting a brand new conspiracy maybe the Chicago police are just lying. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This police department did in 2016 openly through their union support Donald Trump and a lot of the case has been focused on the MAGA statement to have a police department that hasn't been as cooperative as they have been this round do not openly give information, do openly lie and mishold information in cases and then to know that they are openly -- have openly supported Donald Trump in the 2016 election. A lot of activists on the ground are saying wait, what's going on here? How do we believe out of these two suspect people?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Now, of course, most in the media mob, the hate Trump media mob coming to grips with the Smollett story the only way they know how -- blame Trump some more, everything's Trump's fault. The dog bites, the bee stings, if you're feeling sad, it's Trump's fault.
Yes, incredibly the hate Trump media mob is now officially lost any sense of reality in a complete state of hate Trump psychosis. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a lot of evidence of violent incidents that happened on MAGA rallies, I don't want to have Jussie Smollett distract from that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously, we're not going to put what happened on Trump but what we can put on Trump clearly is the heightened panic and angst.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today, you know, folks that believed Jussie as a default position, we feel sadness today. We don't feel stupid today. I feel bad for the people who did not default to that empathy, who think that this is a game, who are gloating today. Those people have something fundamentally wrong with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Are you listening to this? This hate Trump media mob loses it when President Trump calls them out for fake news which they are, but what they are doing is even worse. They continually rush to judgment.
It's always guilt by accusation -- but only if you are a Republican or a conservative -- pushing blatantly false stories, conspiracy theories, impugning the character of millions of Americans, now even teenagers that may wear a MAGA hat. Why? To push their favorite narrative every second, minute, hour of every 24-hour day, every week, month, year.
Trump's evil, supporters are evil. And they are morally superior. This is why fake victimhood is on the rise.
Now, attention-seeking Trump haters know that they will garner sympathy almost immediately and fame from the media, because it advances their narrative, all while impugning the narrative of Trump supporters in the process. So, in the era of Trump, we see hoax after hoax after hoax, very little reporting on it.
Remember, racist graffiti on a building at Eastern Michigan university staged by a former student. A woman in New York saying that oh a group of pro-Trump teens vandalized her car while yelling Trump 2016. Turned out she vandalized own car. Homophobic slurs spray painted on the side of Indiana church by the church organ player.
Look at the side of your screen, fake, hate crimes are far too common in this country, and time and time again, this media mob and Democrats, if it fits their agenda, they buy these stories hook, line, sinker, constantly rushing to judgment.
And, by the way, they hold up each eventual hoax as a shining example of why Trump supporters are horrible people. And remember, we are the smelly Walmart people, the irredeemable, deplorables. We cling to our God, Bibles, guns and religion. And in doing so, they ruin the reputation and in some cases the lives of very good, honorable, decent people.
And when the truth is revealed, crickets. They just move onto the next fake news story. No apologies, no accountability, no mea culpa, no nothing.
This is what happened in the case of Richard Jewell. Remember I thought it was so bad in 1996. The media mob there accused him of being the Olympic bomber. Why? Because he lived with his mother.
I was on the air at the time. Richard was listening. I said that's the most idiotic theory I have ever heard. Turns out he was a hero. But, watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIN WOOD, ATTORNEY: You've got Jay Leno referring to Richard as uni-Doofus (ph). "The New York Post" referring to him as "Rambo". "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" halling him everything from a villain, to a person seeking the limelight and overzealous, fool.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody in the world thinks that he bombed the park because the way he has been portrayed in the media.
WOOD: If they could fool me, someone who is supposed to be educated and experienced in being fair and octave. And reach objective and solid conclusions. If they could fool me, they fooled a lot of people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: And as bad as it was then, it is so much worse with the media mob today. That attorney you saw is Lin Wood. He found some justice, thankfully for his client through the civil court system.
But Jewell has since passed away at really young age. I believe and so does Lin Wood that the stress of all of that helped contribute to his heart condition. And what the media put him through was pure hell.
Lin Wood now representing Covington High School student Nicholas Sandmann who was the latest victim. A 16-year-old kid now of the mob's politically motivated anti-Trump rush to judgment. This mob, their attacks on Nicholas Sandmann were so insane, many even on fake news CNN, conspiracy MSNBC and elsewhere actually started to talk about the racist scourge of red "Make America" hats.
OK. A hat that says make this country great again is a trigger? What's next? Not guilty of a crime? Maybe somebody suffering from hate Trump derangement syndrome?
Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has become an invitation for confrontation. Some have even referred to the hat as a modern day version of the Confederate battle flag.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The hat in some ways represents for many of us a kind of racial animus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The MAGA hat carries a certain connotation that provokes a conditioned reaction for many people, especially for marginalized people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just think about the symbol of that red hat. When I see the "Make America Great Again" hat now, Chris, I am triggered.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: A red "Make America Great Again" hat caused me to do these things. And all these hate Trump media blaming a fake hate crime on a hat -- actually hate crimes are going totally unreported. Where was the media hysteria over attacks where Trump supporters were punched, kicked, assaulted, harassed, stocked all because of their political beliefs?
Don Lemon, have you ever covered that? Robin Roberts? Anyone else in the hate Trump media? You talk about the rise in the far left hatred or obsess about the physical attacks on people merely wearing a red "MAGA" hat? Why?
How many of these people support Black Lives Matter? What do we want dead cops? What do we want them now? Pigs in a blanket, fry them like bacon.
It doesn't fit their narrative. Those people don't seem to matter if you are a conservative and wear a "Make America Great Again" hat. And it's why we've seen little to no coverage of this vicious assault from earlier this week.
Trump supporter, activist brutally punched trying to videotape the whole thing over his political beliefs. Now, we don't know everything that happened but we have three witnesses confirm his story. Take a look.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
HANNITY: Hayden Williams is the kid that just got coldcocked in that particular video.
We are letting the facts play out. So far, three eyewitnesses support his story. That he was assaulted. He said it was over a pro-Trump sign.
Mainstream media silence. No rushing to judgment here. In fact, pretty much no coverage at all.
But what else should we expect from a mainstream media that is actively working on behalf of the Democratic Party? First, to stop Donald Trump from ever becoming president and but now they want to impugn the character of millions of Americans that support the president, that like the success in our economy, that like the 5.3 million new jobs. We will have a lot more on this coming up.
But, first, a quick update on our “Hannity” watch of Mueller's witch-hunt. The probe is reportedly now in its final stages. There were earlier reports this week that it would wrap up and the report would be delivered to the DOJ next week.
But according to a great new article from Kimberley Strassel, look at this -- uh-oh -- Democrats are anticipating a huge letdown. With no collusion literally written on the wall of this point, conspiracy theorists, House Intel Committee chair, biggest liar in Congress and I can prove it, Adam Schiff, he is plotting his backup plan. I'm sure the media will follow suit and it's something that we have warned about for months.
That means nonstop, never ending, endless, frivolous, expensive, pointless investigations on the same topic and President Trump and his family and anybody associated with him. They know they will find nothing but it gives Democrats a venue to continue what has been two years of never ending smear and slander and innuendo and conspiracy theories and character assassination of Donald Trump and anybody that likes him. Gives Shifty Schiff an excuse to do his favorite activity -- lie to you, we, the people.
All right. Joining us now, we have a lot to get to tonight, the author of the book "The Case Against the Democratic House Impeaching Trump", Professor -- Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz, and also, Fox News correspondent-at-large, Geraldo Rivera.
You know, Geraldo, you were so passionate last night and so -- you reminded me of the police superintendent. I said last night, I thought that was the best news conference I watched in my career. He was so good in describing the impact when people lie.
GERALDO RIVERA, CORRESPONDENT AT LARGE: First of all, I wanted to be on with two of my best friends, you and Professor Dershowitz. It's an honor.
I thought that the police superintendent in Chicago, Eddie Johnson, saved the reputation of the city, the same voice to the partisans on both sides in this troubling issue. I think we cannot lose sight of what this is. This is a cynical, selfish, exploitive young man who shamed the history of true victims of race crimes in this country by his cavalier staging of this event.
It's -- it reminds me a lot of O.J. Simpson, you know, not as serious because no one died but the mountain of evidence against him and the bizarre nature of the partisans who are continuing to support him in the face of this mountain of evidence is similar. There's no logic to it. It's infuriating.
Smollett is going to get his just deserts. I think that people will abandon him eventually, but it is pretty clear from the evidence as we know it that this man sought to exploit the racial tensions in this country for his own financial gain. It's disgusting. It's the lowdown and dirty. I don't think his career -- what I would do or I him is just go to a tropical island, chill out for a couple of years and come back and crawl on your belly and apologize to the American people.
HANNITY: The problem is he's now going to be tried and there might be a federal aspect of this coming not long after.
Professor, I'm very consistent -- the evidence now mounting and mounting and mounting, and the videos now associated with it. What are your thoughts?
ALAN DERSHOWITZ, HARVARD LAW SCHOOL EMERITUS PROFESSOR: Well, you know, the hard left is perfectly willing to demand a presumption of innocence as they should for Smollett. But they weren't prepared to give a presumption of innocence to the nonexistent MAGA hat wearing assailants. They immediately assumed the story was true and immediately convicted these people in the court of public opinion.
And so, what we see is the presumption of innocence like so many other aspects of our life is selectively employed by the left against the right and sometimes by the right against the left. We have to have a presumption of innocence on both sides and you in your monologue set that out correctly. You said we have to assume Smollett to be innocent but look at the evidence. It is certainly mounting.
Now, I believe strongly because I have been a victim myself of this -- when somebody deliberately frames somebody and deliberately makes up a false report of anything, that person must go to jail. The integrity of the system demands that the deliberate false reporters, not if you made an accident or honest mistake but deliberate false reporters must go to jail. You know, the Bible says that if you testify falsely against somebody, you get the penalty that that person would have gotten had he been guilty.
HANNITY: One of the big 10, professor.
DERSHOWITZ: And if you apply that hear, you would see that this guy should get the penalty that the assailants would have gotten if they were real and existed.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: I really am worried though, professor. And then I want Geraldo to weigh in, they really are racist, vile vicious racists in this country. There are horrible people that would hurt innocent people because of their sexual orientation.
There are -- look at a congresswoman that is a virulent anti-Semite that sits on foreign affairs committee still. Now, that's unacceptable to me, professor.
DERSHOWITZ: Unbelievable, and unacceptable to me.
HANNITY: It's outrageous.
DERSHOWITZ: When you hear somebody say that the MAGA hat is a trigger. That is such a phony excuse. To some people, the Star of David is a trigger. To some people, the cross is a trigger. For some people seeing a gay couple together or interracial couple is a trigger.
HANNITY: Mind your open business.
DERSHOWITZ: We don't accept people who are racist based on triggers that they don't like. That's just wrong.
HANNITY: Last word, Geraldo.
RIVERA: And what is unforgivable is that all of the smart people who are blind to the evidence because it fits their political narrative to think that the original fake story was true. They hate Trump so much that they are seeking to justify even this absolutely impossible story.
HANNITY: All right. Amazing commentary from both of you.
DERSHOWITZ: Today, it's used against them. Tomorrow, it could be used against you.
RIVERA: True.
HANNITY: You are right, 100 percent. Very well said. Both of you, thank you.
All right. When we come back, we are not done holding what is now the fake news media mob accountable. When we come back, we're going to play you how they covered the Smollett case before and after the evidence started coming out. Some cases crickets.
Also, the brilliant Victor Davis Hanson joins us with powerful commentary and so much more, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
HANNITY: All right. As usual, the hate Trump media mob's handling of the Jussie Smollett hate crime hoax, well, that has been dishonest and reckless disaster. Fox News has a new report out today showing that MSNBC, yes, the conspiracy TV cable, quote, news network, decided not to cover the Smollett story as soon as they realized it was a hoax.
But before the Smollett event was exposed as the hoax, well, the mainstream media and NBC, they were giddy to report it as facts. No checking at all. And, of course, all in a rush to blame President Trump, and his supporters. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Certainly, there are many indications of a hate crime here. They are looking for two suspects who were apparently wearing "Make America Great Again" hats.
REP. MAXINE WATERS, D-CALIF.: It's coming from the president of the United States. He is dog-whistling every day. He's separating and dividing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Connect the dots. This is what happens if you are in a position of power and you hate people and you want to cause suffering to them.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: My initial reaction was sadness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
LEMON: I wasn't shocked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Now, however, since authorities have declared the incident a hoax and have now been putting out evidence minute by minute, almost -- well the media is singing a very different tune. But, of course, it's still a hate Trump madness tune. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a Jackie Robinson against homophobia in the black community, an icon, a beloved icon, and now you have the fall of an icon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is an atmosphere as I said last week, and it remains true today -- an atmosphere of menace and fear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: MAGA supporters have painted themselves as that. I mean, when you look at footage, when you hear things they say, this is honest to goodness truth and we have to be bold enough to call that out.
LEMON: In the court of public opinion --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It matters.
LEMON: It matters. And he has lost that because of how -- and not his fault maybe people were, I don't know what they were saying to him, maybe because of his representatives, who knows?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right. Joining us now with reaction, host of "Relatable" podcast, Allie Beth Stuckey, and nationally syndicated radio talk show host with the Salem Radio Network, my friend Larry Elder.
Larry, let's -- you know, look at these other headlines. Smollett apologizes to "Empire" cast and crew, maintains he is innocent. Smollett's "Empire" role cut out. Maxine Waters not ready to believe what the police in Chicago are saying.
Oh, my favorite? Conspiracy TV MSNBC, a guest says Chicago pd may be framing Jussie Smollett. Framing him. What do you think?
LARRY ELDER, SALEM RADIO NATIONALLY SYNDICATED HOST: Let's start, Sean, with MS -- let's start with MSNBC. I've got two things to say about MSNBC -- Al Sharpton. This is a guy who made his bones by falsely accusing a white Dutchess County assistant D.A., Steven Pagones, of raping Tawana Brawley.
In the grand jury testimony, one of Sharpton's cohorts testified they knew from the beginning it was a lie. A security guard for the lawyers and Sharpton testified that they have all joked, they all knew that it was a lie from the very beginning. It's outrageous this guy is even a public figure.
So, what is MSNBC going to say about this fraud when they have a fraud sitting right there pontificating and has a show every week?
HANNITY: How about we retract, we're sorry, we rushed to judgment, we were wrong, we apologize to our viewers? Maybe we start there?
ELDER: Yes. At the very least, they should be doing that.
HANNITY: Yes, at the very least.
All right. Let me go to Allie Beth.
The history -- Larry knows his history and I watched it all. But Al -- Reverend Al is still a power broker. But the bigger part is, it's bigger than that. This is the media again and again and again -- Covington, you know, the media gets it wrong. Ferguson, they get it wrong.
ELDER: Right.
HANNITY: Cambridge police, they get it wrong. And Baltimore, they get it wrong.
They don't vet Obama. They don't tell eight years later how bad he did. They are obsessed with a compulsion that's bordering on psychotic to hate this president, and even the Russia collusion lies they tell every day.
ALLIE BETH STUCKEY, "RELATABLE" PODCAST HOST: Right. Well, you just heard why in that montage. They are so insulated by their own self-righteousness that they are not able to see reality. They are not able to judge things rightly. They don't even understand the problem or what they did in the beginning whether it was Covington or this, assuming that white people who wear red hats. The red hats in particular are in the wrong no matter what the facts are.
They are so quick to check their boxes of intersectionality to say these people who support Trump are bad, of course they are going to do that. That they are unwilling to take a step back and say, OK, what is actually true? It's the AOC standard that she has set for the left that the media have been following for a long time on the left, which is it's OK if you are not factually correct as long as you are morally right.
And that's what we see them doubling down on today in the past couple of days, saying, OK, we might not have gotten the facts right, but at least we are morally right.
Here is the bigger picture: Trump supporters are still bad, and that's what makes me sad.
HANNITY: You know, Larry, I like Don Lemon. I like him personally but I don't like -- we disagree politically. But he said that Smollett -- I'm going to be eating Smollett's lunch. Now, he's saying, if you are guilty, confess, throw yourself on the mercy of the court. It doesn't sound like I'm going to be eating any lunch any time soon.
ELDER: No. And, Sean, there was a host of People TV who said I was praying and hoping this day would never come -- meaning the day that Jussie Smollett is exposed as a fraud. So she would rather believe that there are two Trump supporting goons patrolling the streets of Chicago armed with bleach and nooses looking for gay and black guys to beat up, because they don't like Trump. She would rather believe that than to believe this guy lied, that's sick. It really is.
HANNITY: Last word Allie, liberal and dangerous and--
STUCKEY: I completely--
HANNITY: --consumes this garbage.
STUCKEY: Yes.
HANNITY: And you know what? This is a such a disservice to the American people and they get away with it time after time, although their credibility shot Allie Beth.
STUCKEY: Absolutely. And you know we hear from the Left, I heard on "CNN Today" about empathy. That we should be feeling empathy for him. Well, I'm feeling empathy for victims of actual crimes that are now not going to be believed, they're not going to be seen as quite as credible. Because now we not only have to be skeptical about the facts that are presented to us at the very beginning, but we also have to wonder about people's motives.
Are people so inclined to be a victim to become virtuous that they're willing to make something up like this? So the empathy that I feel isn't necessarily towards Smollett, who obviously has a lot of issues, but towards the people who aren't going to be taken seriously even though they deserve to be.
HANNITY: All right. Thank you both. All right when we come back really shocking video, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez defending the vile comments made against President Trump. Also we have a mini monologue straight ahead and the brilliant Victor Davis Hanson, the coup that never was and so much. Straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: All right. Lot of news tonight. "Hannity Watch" on the rise of socialism. This is real in this country.
Now, while President Trump continues to deliver victory after victory on the economy, near record low unemployment, especially for demographic groups in this country that have not gotten the chances that they deserve. That means record low unemployment. African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans, women in the workplace, youth unemployment, look at this, rising wage growth.
Democrats like Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez remain defiant. They continue to push what are their radical visions for America's future that will guarantee poverty, higher taxes, may be as high as 70 percent, mandated climate shaming and apparently even telling you what to eat, not making it up. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, D-N.Y.: Listen, we got to address a factory farming. Maybe we shouldn't be eating a hamburger for breakfast lunch and dinner, like let's keep it real.
DESUS NICE, CO-HOST OF VICELAND'S DESUS & MERO: Slow down.
OCASIO-CORTEZ: But we have to take a look at everything and what we need to realize is that climate change is about every choice that we make in our lives. You made more than $10 million in one year. You're 10 millionth and one dollar gets taxed at 70% and it really comes up with a question of isn't 10 million enough? Like, when does it stop? Right, like--
NICE: Yes, when is too much rather too much--
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Never notice how generous Democrats, the new extreme radical democratic socialists are. They're so generous with your money. How much, by the way, they want to control your life. Well, I'll give the Congresswoman credit, she actually comes out and says how radical she really is and has a lot of supporters even openly -- now almost 100 Congressmen and Senators.
Now she wants to tell you what to eat, mandate how much money you're allowed to make, before she takes more of it, for she wants a 70 percent top marginal rate. And of course, Ocasio-Cortez is just one of several new radicals making up this new extreme Democratic Socialist Party.
Don't forget about Michigan Congresswoman Tlaib who recently called to quote "Impeach the Mf'er, Trump, just hours after being sworn into office. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB, D-MICH.: When your son looks at you and says, "Mama look, you won. Bullies don't win," and I said, "Baby, they don't," because we're going to go in there and we're going to impeach the (BEEP),"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: And recently got together with congresswoman Omar and downplayed the whole thing and are actually embracing their unhinged extremism -- go team.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OCASIO-CORTEZ: Rashida got into a little bit of trouble for saying a boo-boo word.
DESUS NICE, CO-HOST OF VICELAND'S DESUS & MERO: Basically a word we say every five minutes on our show.
OCASIO-CORTEZ: I sent her a text, and I was like, "Don't worry about it, like, this -- I mean who cares."
TLAIB: No it's honestly -- that's saying, "That guy".
REP. ILHAN OMAR, D-MINN.: Like, the double standard in that is that, that guy, never gets
OCASIO-CORTEZ: That's right.
NICE: --lot of double standards around here.
OMAR: I think we have a beef with almost anyone here because there's a lack of courage. And it seems like we're all radical because we deeply care about the people that we represent and--
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: There's a lot here they don't care, sure the vulgarity is what it is, and pretty outrageous. But it was the reckless way they talk about impeachment which is, obviously, serious a specific process of which there is no basis for.
And remember, as crazy as the over-the-top as this behavior is with these new lawmakers, they have real influence. They are part of this hard-Left turn among 2020 Democrats, totally out of balance and out of touch with everyday Americans.
For example, Elizabeth Warren is now saying that her "Wealth Tax". Now that means a new tax after you've ready paid your taxes if you manage to save money, well, it's just a big down payment on the Green New Deal and free child care.
Don't forget about champagne socialist Bernie Sanders. He's now agreed to sign a pledge of firming. He will run as a Democrat. Why shouldn't he? He's the one that first pushed these radical extreme ideas -- free health care, free college, huge entitlements. That now the party is just embracing his socialist utopia.
By way he might be a moderate compared to some of the other candidates. Look at this video from 1985 where he offers praise for the Castro regime. And let me remind you, Castro was a murdering thug dictator who stole people's land and literally created more poverty than you've ever seen. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, I-VT: --recall way back in -- what was it 1961, they invaded Cuba. And everybody was totally convinced that Castro was the worst guy in the world. All the Cuban people were going to rise up in rebellion against Fidel Castro. They'd forgot that he educated their kids, gave them health care, totally transformed the society.
You know, not to say that Fidel Castro or Cuba are perfect, they are certainly not. But just because Ronald Reagan dislikes these people, does not mean the people in their own nations feel the same way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Looks like a former 60s hippie term professor. Sounds like the Senator could use a "Hannity History" lesson about human rights abuses, censorship and economic disaster of Cuba and murdering rage of innocent people.
And it's not just Cuba we're watching this now unfold in real-time, this far-Left agenda playing out in Venezuela, where free leads to famine and socialism leads to suffering. They have food shortages and violent, constant chaos. Look at this footage Venezuela's Maduro is actually stopping aid from reaching his own country.
May I ask the question, "Well, how many people are fleeing capitalism?" Not a lot. "How many people are fleeing from America to Venezuela? Free market capitalism works. The greatest wealth creator in the history of man, and we see socialism failing time and time again throughout history.
All right. Joining us now for reaction Author of "The Case for Trump", he's with the Hoover Institute, Victor Davis Hanson, one of my favorite writers. You wrote such a great column about the failed coup.
But I want to ask you about this. I'm going to give me a litany and then I'm going to let you go. We're going to redo every home in America, eliminate cars, the combustion engine, planes and 70% tax.
Then a well tax, if you save a few cents after it. And guaranteed job with a guaranteed wage, family medical leave, guaranteed vacations, guaranteed retirement, guaranteed college, guaranteed healthy government food, guaranteed housing, guaranteed health care -- but not private, you can't have that and even if you're unwilling to work.
OK. You are one of the greatest don't thinking conservative minds in the country, what does this lead to?
VICTOR DAVIS HANSON, HOOVER INSTITUTION SENIOR FELLOW: Well, in history it's kind of frightening, because we get these Left-wing revolutionary cycles in Antiquity, 18th Century France, 19th Century Europe, where people become entirely -- you used the word unhinged -- unhinged from reality. And so each revolutionary position within 24 hours or a week becomes pass,.
So Bernie Sanders -- remember, Sean, he was edgy when he used the word "Socialist". Now socialist is not radical enough. That green agenda of Al Gore seems pass, compared to the New Green Deal.
We were -- not too long ago we were talking about how much of a wall we should build and there was a opposition between Democrats and Republicans and then it was whether you needed a wall.
Now Beto wants to tear down the wall and you mentioned. The tax we went from Obama 39 and then we went to 70 and then 90, then a wealth tax. And so no radical position can be radical enough within the next iteration, and that's what this Democratic stampede over the cliff is in now.
And the question is why--
HANNITY: I think what's happened--
HANSON: --Sean, what prompted it.
HANNITY: So New York, New Jersey, California, Illinois all these heavily regulated high tax states, they're losing massive amounts of their population. Less than a decade they lost a 1 million people in California and I view that as a preview of coming attractions.
Because if they do what they're saying they want to do to the country, like Andrew Cuomo is a $2.3 billion shortfall, because he taxed the rich, taxed the rich, taxed the rich and the rich are leaving. Will they leave the country?
HANSON: Yes. Well, what I said -- I used that metaphor before, "Pied Piper going -- stampeding people over cliff, because the logical trajectory is oblivion or nihilism. Because finally you get so radical that you're so detached from reality that you can't have reality.
And I kind of blame Barack Obama, because he put a happy face on you didn't build that, now is not the time to profit. At some point you made enough money, the 1%. Then after him it became easier and easier.
And we have universities that don't teach people anything other than ideology. So most of these young kids couldn't find Venezuela on the map or they don't know who Lenin is. Finally, Sean, we have 60 million immigrants in this country and we're not assimilating and integrating them in the melting pot traditions.
And they're not Cubans fleeing tyranny in the 60s. They are not Hungarians fleeing from the 1950s at new communism. Most of them are coming from impoverished places where their critique was there wasn't enough entitlement and they come here hoping that there'll be a centralized redistributionist government and they become fodder for Left-wing ideologies.
HANNITY: You could read Victor Davis Hanson, NRO.com. All right. When we come back huge major story, why is the news media -- why are they sweeping under the rug about the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and the charge of rape? What if the Lieutenant Governor's name was Kavanaugh? and our "Villain of the Day", straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Although the media seems to have forgotten Ralph Northam is still Governor of Virginia despite being caught in an racially charged scandal with his medical school yearbook and admitted being a blackface.
Well as far as Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, well Virginia Republicans now finally plan hearings into the sexual assault allegations against him with both of his accusers invited to publicly testify.
But, if you think the "Hate Trump Media" mob, you think they're pushing any of these stories out to the public? Well, use your imagination. According to media research networks coverage of the Virginia scandals has fallen off a cliff.
Joining us now to discuss the media's handling of this Fox News Contributors Tammy Bruce and our own Lawrence Jones. Tammy you were so powerful during the Kavanaugh hearings. Apparently one of these charge, one is sexual assault, one is rape. And what I read is that at the time the accuser actually told real people.
TAMMY BRUCE, CONTRIBUTOR: Right.
HANNITY: And no media coverage, is it because it's a Democrat, is it because they just didn't read the newspaper and hear about it? Why the double standard that's so apparent?
BRUCE: Well, it's apparent on both sides there. The media, clearly, is the water carriers for the American Left and they are not interested in this, just like the Democrats are not really interested in the issues that impact woman's lives, otherwise we'd have some successes. Right?
They rely on this kind of victimhood and these problems remaining, so that they can run on them. That said, what the Republicans and people who care about this country need to do, is look at when coverage of issues like this falls off the cliff and it tells you what the Democrats are really afraid of. And it tells you what the Trump White House, what the what the GOP need to focus on.
In general, first of all, because it's the right thing to do, because these are serious issues, of course that affect all of our lives. Certainly, they affect women. But they affect the men who love those women. And you know, your mothers, and your sisters, and your daughters and your wives, your best friends, so all Americans care about this.
And the GOP must realize that it's been a fraud that the Democrats have been the leaders for minorities in this country and for women and they must take up that mantle, because all Americans deserve representation and it is only the conservative ideal that will deliver it.
HANNITY: Where Lawrence--
LAWRENCE JONES, CONTRIBUTOR: But Sean, we got to stop--
HANNITY: I'm want to ask you this, where are all the "I believe" people? because I'll tell you where I stand on this now. I'm still in the "I don't know" category. I don't know, I wasn't there.
But I -- the Republicans for once in the Kavanaugh hearings they gave it the seriousness and the proper attention that it deserved, and then it fell apart on its own. I don't know what happened here? But it should be treated the same way and it's not.
JONES: Yes. As it relates to the Fairfax case, he has a right to due process, but that's not what the Democrats called for in the beginning. So all we're asking is for a little bit of consistency. If this is the position now that you don't care about these issues, then use that same positioning when there's Republicans on the other side.
But as it relates to the blackface scandals, we know what they did there. And I don't understand how Republicans continue to lose to a party like this?
BRUCE: Right, exactly.
JONES: I mean, who didn't search the yearbooks, who didn't go after these people--
HANNITY: Lawrence, I can tell you why?
JONES: --why are they sitting on their tail?
HANNITY: All the government workers moved to Northern Virginia.
JONES: Yes. But, Sean, what about the Republican strategists that we're running these campaigns after they painted the Republican candidate as a racist. Meanwhile, we have two yearbooks, OK, that have people in blackface and we lost to these people? Come on give me a break.
HANNITY: I totally agree with you. Well give Tammy the little last word.
BRUCE: Well, this is -- there's lots of lessons to learn here. We've seen that, of course, there is still the anti-Trump GOP operating to some degree. But it's an investment in the swamp, in the bureaucratic monster that is what has what we've been led to for the last several generations by the system as we know it, and this is why the Trump administration so important.
Our new view for reformation, overall for both parties, will only lift this country up. We're just at the beginning of it and we're getting reminders every day why it's so important.
HANNITY: All right. Lawrence, Tammy, thank you so much for being with us. When we come back, our "Villain of the Day". We'll tell you what happened to a three-time deported illegal immigrant -- where you see this video. Also I'll be in Vietnam next week interviewing the President at the historic summit with Kim Jong-un. We'll give you the details straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Our "Villain of the Day" is Javier Hernandez Morales, an illegal immigrant previously deported three times and released over ICE objections on several occasions. Why? California's sanctuary policies.
Now we are about to show you graphic body cam footage of him reaching for a gun and firing that gun on Napa County Sheriff's Deputy, Riley Jarecki. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAVIER HERNANDEZ MORALES, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT: [Foreign Language]
RILEY JARECKI, NAPA DEPUTY SHERIFF: Shots fired, shots fired.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: When do the people that allow these criminal aliens to go free? When do they get bear the responsibility and culpability here? 48-year-old criminal alien was killed. The Deputy, thank God, was not seriously injured.
All right. Important note, we will be covering President Trump's foreign trip to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. We'll be in Vietnam next week, that's all the time we have left this evening.
And stay tuned, thanks for always for watching. We'll see you Monday from Hanoi in Vietnam. Thanks for being with us
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