Ad Blocker Detected
Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
This is a rush transcript from “Hannity,” February 18, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
JASON CHAFFETZ, FOX NEW HOST: Welcome to this special edition of HANNITY: The Left’s Failures.
I’m Jason Chaffetz, in for Sean.
And tonight, deeply troubling news both at home and abroad. In just a moment, we’ll take you live to Canada where wannabe dictator Justin Trudeau is cracking down on peaceful protesters and the reporters on site covering the freedom convoy.
Also tonight, we’ll bring you the latest COVID-19 fear-mongering from Dr. Fauci and Jen Psaki.
But, first, we begin in Europe where Russia and Ukraine are apparently on the brink of total war. Today, President Biden announced that he is convinced that Putin is ready to invade. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Do you have any indication about whether President Putin has made a decision on whether to invade? Do you feel confident that he — that he hasn’t made that decision already?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As of this moment, I’m convinced he’s made the decision. We have reason to believe that.
REPORTER: You are convinced that President Putin is going to invade Ukraine. Is that what you just said a few minutes ago?
BIDEN: Yes, I did, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHAFFETZ: To make matters more confusing, Biden also said that he can’t read Putin’s mind and doesn’t really know what will happen. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I think he is — focused on trying to convince the world that he has the ability to change the dynamics in Europe in a way that he cannot, but I — I don’t — how much of it is a — cover for just saying we’re just doing exercises and there’s more than that. I just can’t — it’s hard to read his mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHAFFETZ: Well, there you have it. Putin will either invade or not invade in a matter of hours days or weeks. But according to satellite images and U.S. intel, an invasion does appear imminent.
Here now with the very latest from Washington, D.C. is Kevin Corke — Kevin.
KEVIN CORKE, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Jason, good to be with you.
A senior U.S. defense official tells FOX News tonight, there is a strong possibility of a quote significant invasion by the Russian military into Ukraine in the coming days with Kyiv being the primary target.
Pentagon correspondent here at FOX, Jennifer Griffin, reports about 40 to 50 percent of Vladimir Putin’s troops have left their barracks and how have moved into what’s being described as attack positions, meaning within striking distance of the Ukrainian border. Furthermore, sources tell FOX that Putin has somewhere between and battalion tactical groups amassed along the border, and Russia’s special forces have also reportedly been mobilized.
Clearly, a dire assessment coming out of the Pentagon tonight. However, skeptics have noted and for all the hand-wringing and calendar watching, no one has been able to accurately predict the Kremlin’s moves to this point, noting that many observers thought earlier this week an invasion would have begun. Of course, that did not happen.
Still in the meantime, we’ll keep an eye on all the latest developments from here and, of course, as I get more, I promise to pass it along to you my friend. But for now, back to you.
CHAFFETZ: Kevin Corke, thank you as always.
Here now with more reaction is former CIA station chief and FOX News contributor Dan Hoffman, and from the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Michael Waltz.
Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us tonight.
Dan, I want I want to start with you. I think Americans, no matter where you are in this country, you’re thinking about how will this affect them, and some of the discussion has been about the potential for cyber security types of attacks. What should we as Americans be worried about if Putin does indeed move into Ukraine?
DAN HOFFMAN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think if Putin launches a full throttled assault on Ukraine, then you’re going to see a pretty harsh response from the United States on a couple of fronts. First, we’ve — the Biden administration has said that they will respond with sanctions — crippling ones against Russia.
But they’ve also said that they would supply Ukraine with increased military assistance so that Ukraine could mount an effective insurgency against those Russian troops. And that’s where Vladimir Putin will need to make the decision about whether he wants to target the United States in response.
We need to be absolutely vigilant for the potential that — Vladimir Putin has been known to use cyber attacks to his advantage, whether it’s a Colonial pipeline attack or SolarWinds or interfering in our elections. That’s just what he does. And so, our — we need to be vigilant about that.
And Cyber Command needs to get out in front potentially and take action way out left of boom against those Russian entities that are targeting us.
CHAFFETZ: Yeah, and that’s interesting because if the president is convinced that he’s going to move, he makes — begs the question, why not put in those sanctions and do those other things right now?
But, Congressman, fortunately, the president has sent the vice president on her very first trip to Europe and, you know, she hasn’t been able to protect or even bother to dive into protecting our own border, the southern border of the United States.
Here’s what the vice president said in Germany today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNTIED STATES: To do this work at the highest levels of our governments, understanding that our work together and our unity is a sign of the strength of our nations individually and collectively. I do believe, I think we all know, our greatest strength is our unity. This is a moment that has made that clear that our unity is evidence and is a measure of our strength.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHAFFETZ: That certainly didn’t happen in Afghanistan, Congressman. Do you think that Vladimir Putin is shaken in his boots having heard that message from the vice president delivered at the security conference today?
REP. MICHAL WALTZ (R-FL): Yeah, yeah, it’s going about this as well as her trip to the border so far.
But look, let me tell you where our unity was shattered, and it was because of Biden’s policies. Number one, moving us away from energy independence. We’ve doubled our imports of Russian oil and heavy crude just over the last — to the United States, just over the last year and we no longer import it from Venezuela. So I don’t know where we’re going to go from there.
That’s why you’ve seen Biden’s emissaries in Saudi Arabia begging them to produce more and that’s why you saw Qatar at the White House begging them to produce more.
But where the unity was shattered was not taking a tougher stand on Nord Stream 2. Putin knows that Germany is not going to crater that pipeline. That’s why the German chancellor wouldn’t even say it when he was here because he has his own domestic political issues, and at the end of the day, he has checked mate on Western Europe.
And to your point on how to — how are Americans going to feel this at home, you’re going to see the price of oil going to $100, $110 a barrel. You’re going to see increased dependence on Russian oil from and on Middle Eastern oil now all because of this progressive, failed energy policy that shut down our energy independence and created dependence on our adversaries that are now richer and bolder.
CHAFFETZ: Yeah, we unilaterally gave up Nord Stream. We unilaterally took down our ability to produce energy, and instead of using that as a bargaining chip so that Vladimir Putin didn’t move further into Ukraine.
But, Dan, I got to ask you. President Zelensky is going to evidently leave the country of Ukraine, go to Germany to address the security conference right on the verge of when troops are amassing on his border. Is that the right move? I mean, it’s a little scary to me that the president of the country that’s about to be attacked is going to be out of the country.
HOFFMAN: Yeah, I don’t know that I’d be advising him to do that.
Now, he says that — President Zelensky has emphasized throughout his disagreement with the United States over the intelligence that we are declassifying about how Russia’s invasion is imminent. Remember, it was supposed to happen this week on Wednesday and it didn’t.
So President Zelensky sees the potential for attack a little bit differently, but still the fact that he’s leaving the country and maybe it would have been a good idea to send somebody else.
But it just shows how important he believes it is to engage with NATO allies who are — even though Ukraine is not a member of NATO, they really are relying on our NATO partners, in the United States in particular, to defend their territorial integrity, and that’s obviously why he’s going. It’s a tough — it’s a tough position to be in for him.
CHAFFETZ: Well, it’s a tough position because I don’t think we yet fully utilize the tools of the United States of America to leverage this, so that we never got to this point.
But, gentlemen, I’ve got to go, and thank you both for your service to our country. Really do appreciate it. Thanks for joining us tonight on HANNITY.
All right, now we turn once again to Canada where today Trudeau sent in law enforcement to physically quell the peaceful protests in Ottawa dozens of truckers were arrested and journalists were reportedly pushed back from the chaotic scene and even threatened with arrest.
Here now with a full report live from Ottawa, our very own Alexis McAdams – – Alexis.
ALEXIS MCADAMS, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good evening. Well, the protesters here are still standing strong although it’s been a lot of cold weather you can see a lot of people here behind me.
But what it comes down to and what the protesters have been telling us over the past several weeks is that they want freedom. They don’t want restrictions. They don’t want mandates. They feel like they played by the rules and all they really wanted was the prime minister to take a listen to what their demands were which were to drop some of those restrictions.
I mean, 90 percent of Canadians at this point are vaccinated. So these people here in the freedom convoy want to know what else he wants from them. And instead of getting what they wanted, they got a heavy police presence. Take a look here at your screen. This is exactly what we’ve been seeing here over the past few days.
You can take a closer look here and you can see there’s lots of police there moving in. The line of heavily armed officers from those agencies moving in here, and then we’re going to take a close look now so you see that heavy police presence.
Well, this is what we’ve been seeing on the ground is just talking to people and this is one of the truckers that we’ve been talking to, and I asked you before. What’s your plan? Everyone’s saying you guys are leaving, when are you when are you heading out of town?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I have to — I have a plan to leave in August (ph), just around the corner, to get my favorite pizza and I’m going to come right f*ing back.
MCADAMS: All right. Well, that was not part of the plan there to drop that F bomb, but you’re standing strong, and you want the prime minister to know that you have no interest in leaving at this point?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not at all.
MCADAMS: And that’s just one of the truckers that we’ve been talking to, but it is two different stories. We had people on one side of this protest saying that they were going to move out of the area, and other people say they’re not going anywhere. But really, it comes down to freedom and they’re planning for a wild weekend.
We’ll pan around and just kind of show you here. This is exactly what we’re seeing on the ground. So we’ll send it back to you in the studio.
CHAFFETZ: Alexis, thank you.
Good to see live shots of what’s happening in Canada and the resolve looks pretty good. They look pretty happy and pretty buoyed up, and — but let’s learn a little bit more about this.
Joining us with more is a Canadian trucker who’s avoided arrest so far, Harold Jonker.
Harold, thank you so much for joining us. You’ve been on HANNITY’S a couple of times here. But tell us what the mood is like if truckers talk to each other, you’re communicating so what’s the mood like. What’s the resolve like? What’s the morale of those people? Now, that handcuffs are going on truckers and people are being pulled away by police?
HAROLD JONKER, CANADIAN TRUCKER PROTESTING IN OTTAWA: The mood has been a little bit confusing, definitely you know their smoke and mirrors ploy has had guys leave, concerned that they’re going to lose everything. But they’re — like that driver said just a minute ago, I don’t like using the F word, but it’s just — I started laughing when he said that. We’re coming right back, and that’s our resolve.
We’re not leaving. We’re not giving up. They can try this. They can put an Emergency Act in on a peaceful protest.
But we know we’re in the right. We know that we’re doing the right thing and we’re looking forward to a beautiful family weekend up on the hill.
CHAFFETZ: So what are the other truckers, are they telling you? Is it all truckers or are they other parts of Canadians or other Canadians that are coming out and joining you? Is it growing in its size and its support? Or is it shrinking now that it’s getting cold and the police are showing up?
JONKER: No, it’s growing in size. The police are trying to keep people out of this the downtown area and this red zone that they’re trying to keep people out of, but people are still getting in. They’re driving on one-way streets with their four-wheelers, bringing family members in, bringing support in, and it’s actually a lot of fun.
Like it’s not because it’s sad what our police are doing, they’re listening to our leader who’s actually listening to somebody else obviously like. If this was about just COVID and lockdowns, we should have been out of here long ago. But yeah, we’re fighting something that’s a little bit above our pay grade when it comes to politics, but it — this has just made our resolve firmer, and we’re looking forward to when the U.S. one starts.
CHAFFETZ: Very, very quick question for you.
Has the prime minister reached out to have any sort of discussion with the truckers that are there?
JONKER: Not, none at all. All he’s done is try to agitate us with his comments in the House of Commons. He’s disrespected every single Canadian by walking out of parliament when there’s a debate on this emergency act. And yeah, he’s disrespecting that our society and our democracy.
It’s so sad to see, but it’s just given us more resolve to stay firm and we’re holding the line.
CHAFFETZ: Well, Harold Jonker, good luck to you and thank you for joining us tonight on HANNITY. We really do appreciate it. Very, very good of you. I appreciate it.
All right. Here now with more reaction, FOX News contributor Tammy Bruce, along with Outkick founder Clay Travis.
Tammy, I want to start with you.
I mean, that’s part of what’s so frustrating here, right? The prime minister goes into parliament accuses people of running around and standing with people with swastikas, but he won’t actually take a meeting and actually meet with real blue-collar truckers. There’s something wrong with that picture.
TAMMY BRUCE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah, we see that a lot of course across this country. We’ve seen it in Europe. The attitudes that would compel someone like Trudeau to do this emergencies act tells you on its face that he’s not interested in what the people are saying. He could change all this by lifting the mandates with so many Canadians already vaccinated, but he’s not doing that.
All of this could have ended with him saying you know what you’re right but he couldn’t do it because that’s the entire point of all of this. For so many countries including ours these extraordinary measures have been about control have not been about health care. We’ve seen the numbers unfold.
And this is also not about being anti-mass or vaccine these are protests against onerous government actions. Interestingly, Trudeau needs the ascent of the parliament to continue with this emergencies act, and that vote now has been pushed back into sometime next week, while all of this goes on.
So this is what we have to worry about, that this is a perhaps a preview of what other Western governments are willing to do. We already know that the D.C. police have been put on alert because of an American trucker convoy that is going to D.C. and we don’t really know what that means or what they’re capable of doing.
So this is why we have to worry when we’ve seen this protest which seems to be a genuine civil disobedience, a right — the core of American protest which is non-violent disobedience and yet even now, people who engage in that are being tagged as being terrorists or being dangerous, and we have to make sure that that attitude does not prevail.
CHAFFETZ: Clay, you know, it was Justin Trudeau who actually marched with BLM protesters and thought that that was just fine. Justin Trudeau was the one who supported blockades in India. He had no problem with that.
But now that it’s happening right there in Canada and they don’t like him personally, I am really struck with the degree of suppression — suppression of the media, suppression of the dollars flowing to support the truckers, and going and taking these people’s pets and taking their money confiscating their vehicles and taking away their livelihood. It’s pretty stunning.
CLAY TRAVIS, OUTKICK FOUNDER: It’s disgraceful and all freedom-loving people around the world have to support the Canadian truckers because effectively what Justin Trudeau has done is declare martial law. He said if you’re donating money to the truckers, we will seize your bank accounts. If we arrest you, we’ll even take your animals and by the way if you can’t get them back in eight days you will relinquish your animals.
I mean, this is barbaric behavior by Justin Trudeau and this is important I think. He had two options when this Canadian truckers arrived in Ottawa and when this protest began. He could have taken the non-violent reaction.
This is actually what the Democrat mayors have done all over the United States. You know what they’ve done? They’ve basically eliminated mask mandates and they’ve eliminated COVID vaccine mandates, and they have lied and claimed that those are no longer necessary because they worked so well that COVID has been beaten down.
It’s a lie but it is a partial victory for them to be able to declare and it doesn’t have to look like they are acquiescing to the protesters, the same people out there who have looked at the data and said it’s time to end mass in schools, it’s time to end indoor masking, it’s time to end COVID vaccine mandates for you to take your five-year-old to McDonald’s. That was option one.
Instead, he chose option two. Did you guys see the horses going in and stomping on protesters as they are preparing to go in and arrest all of these people? In the process, I believe what Justin Trudeau is doing is the opposite of what he’s intended. It’s imbecilic because he’s making the Canadian truckers martyrs, he’s making them heroes, he’s making it clear that they stand for truth, justice and freedom, and he is on the opposite of all of those issues.
He is a tyrant and they are exposing his tyranny. It is a major win for the Canadian truckers every single day this continues.
CHAFFETZ: Yeah, you know, if you’re going up against the blue collar people, the truckers who were the heroes at the beginning of this pandemic, the people who when you didn’t know how deadly COVID was going to be the ones that we relied on to make sure that we had everything that we needed, if you’re suddenly on the opposite end of that, you’re probably on the wrong end of the of the argument at this point. And I think the way Trudeau has handled this is absolutely just a just a calamity. Just — it’s just so fundamentally wrong.
But, Tammy and Clay, appreciate your perspective. Thanks for joining us tonight on HANNITY.
All right. Up next, the Democrats’ COVID insanity shows no signs of abating. Dr. Oz joins us next to tell us how much it’ll hurt the Democrats in the midterms. We’ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHAFFETZ: Now, Dr. Flip flop Fauci just can’t let go of the spotlight and can’t let go of his pandemic power grab, because get this, Biden’s failed chief medical advisor is still saying it’s too risky to unmask kids, despite many states finally lifting their mass mandates in schools.
And that’s not all, because Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki spewed out this word salad, claiming the CDC guidance follows data and science and that the data in science moves at the speed of data and science. You have a look. You try to decipher it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: What I can tell you is the CDC guidance follows data and science, and data and science moves at the speed of data and science. You can speak to any local leaders about what their decision making has been based on and we certainly respect their right to do that and respect their role in making decisions about their communities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHAFFETZ: Ah that clarifies it all.
But even in far left Hollywood, not everyone is surrendering to the never- ending hysteria as Yellowstone actor Forrie J. Smith says he won’t attend the upcoming SAG Awards over the vaccine mandate.
But on the other end of the COVID spectrum, “The View” co-host Joy Behar says she will wear a mask indefinitely in public places. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST OF “THE VIEW”: I listen to the little voice in my head that doesn’t really follow what they tell me because they keep changing it. So like very short time ago, they were saying put the N95 masks on and now, they make sure — and now they’re saying you don’t have to wear them anymore. So I — if I go on the subway, if I go in a bus, if I go into the theater, if I go into — where else would I go?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Crowded spot.
BEHAR: A crowded place, I would wear a mask, and I might do that indefinitely because why do I need a flu or a cold even? And so I’m listening to myself right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHAFFETZ: Joining us now for reaction is Republican Pennsylvania’s Senate candidate, Dr. Mehmet Oz. Dr. Oz, thanks so much for joining us on HANNITY.
They claimed they followed the science, but I tell you, as somebody who’s been with — I got grandkids, so I you try to go out with a three or four year old on an airplane cross country and get them to wear a mask, I mean, the science just isn’t there. Why do they insist on making sure that these kids continue to have to mask up?
DR. MEHMET OZ (R), PENNSYLVANIA SENATE CANDIDATE: I think Fauci, the CDC, public health service is becoming irrelevant at this point. They’re getting lapped by governments that are responsive to the people. I guess I’m going around the state of Pennsylvania doing these massive town halls, Republicans are energized by COVID. It’s creating a catastrophe for Democrats who can’t defend us anymore.
We’ll get to Joy Behar in a second, but the lack of evidence means at this point, it’s Washington’s fault. If you haven’t proven after two years that masks work, as children wear them, then the problem is yours. But it reflects the fact that Washington is now making it up as they go.
It’s all political. You mix politics and medicine, what do you get? You get politics. You suffocate the medicine.
The transmission rate in schools is low. I’m going to say this again, kids do not seem to pass the virus very much at school anyway. There doesn’t seem to be much of a correlation between masks and cases. I’m unaware of data — compelling data that shows that kids wearing masks the way they do which is cloth masks, not all the time, who wears anything for eight hours in a row? When the masks get wet, they don’t work.
It doesn’t happen to benefit because the kids go home and play with their friends anyway. There’s no six foot distancing then and frankly that number itself is made up.
I went to Upper Saint Claire which is a beautiful community outside of Pittsburgh. The parents did everything appropriate. They replaced the school board, they got it all fixed up but because Fauci keeps insisting on masks. There were legal issues that came up. Their kids still have masks on, even though the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has told everyone that the public health service doesn’t have any right to put masks on kids.
If you go to DrOz.com, you’ll see how angry these folks are. COVID has destroyed work in the state and around America. I got to say, Jason, there’s only one company I visited the entire time I’ve been campaigning that has full employment, it’s a chocolate company. Because they told their employees you can eat chocolate if you come to work. That’s about the only way they got people to come back..
CHAFFETZ: Well, that’ll work, yeah.
Okay, let’s talk about Joy Behar. Look, if somebody wants to wear a mask, I don’t think we should shame them. I think if they want to wear it, great. But don’t force me, don’t mandate it, don’t shame me if I choose not to wear one.
OZ: Well, Joy is reflecting exactly what many Democrats are experiencing, which is a massive disinformation campaign. She actually believes she’s an imminent risk. There’s a near and present danger around her. She doesn’t think she can control her futures, and she thinks it’s coming at her no matter what she does. So she’s going to keep that mask on.
Now, look at what happened to poor Forrie Smith, he says you know, I’m not going to go get the SAG Award which he might have been able to win because of my decision not to get a vaccine, he says.
But what they’re doing at the SAG Awards, this is the hidden part of it, here’s the rule. You get vaccinated. You have to get boosted, then you have to get tested and if your testing is negative, then you get to put on a N95 or KN95 high quality masks can you wear for — you know, if they’d worn it in Wuhan, they may not have spread the virus, right? They put that mascot and that’s how they’re going to watch the awards.
I mean, are you kidding me? What is the point of all these precautions?
CHAFFETZ: Look, Pennsylvania has proximity to Canada. You got the truckers that’s making a lot of news.
As you’re out talking meeting with voters there in Pennsylvania, how does that radiate? What are they telling you about what they see the truckers doing in Ottawa?
OZ: Tremendous empathy with the truckers in Ottawa. I’m predicting if truckers come to Washington, it’ll be the same. They are angry because they don’t feel heard. That’s the real narrative here that’s being missed in Canada.
And I think your reporting was wonderful. We just heard basically people saying, listen to me, I’ve been doing everything you asked. I got vaccinated. I’m getting tested.
You’re pulling me out of my life, not allowing me to earn a livelihood by forcing me to quarantine for reasons that are completely made up. I’m in my truck by myself. Do I have to wear a mask then too? And these nonsensical rules at a certain point challenge the common sense of the average person, which is why I keep telling these big town halls that we’re doing that I’m a common sense Republican.
You don’t have to be a rocket science, even Dr. Fauci to figure out there are certain things that don’t pass the sniff test. Talk to your doctor. Do what they’re saying, push back on authority if you’ve got an expert like your local doctor saying that you’re fine to go without a mask or whatever else they think you should be doing.
And that’s the mistake we’re making. Authoritarian overreach, top-down mandates do not work and they will not work going forward.
CHAFFETZ: Yeah, I think standing tall for self-determination is always the right way to go and Dr. Oz, thank you so much for joining us tonight on HANNITY. I really do appreciate it.
All right. Coming up, Biden’s poll numbers continue to tank but Democrats keep moving left regardless. Joe Concha, Charlie Hurt and Matt Schlapp weigh in when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHAFFETZ: Now, another day, another disastrous poll for Joe Biden as the Trafalgar Group finds the president’s approval to be at a dismal 3 percent and that’s not all because Rasmussen’s new generic congressional ballot numbers show Republicans holding a whopping point lead.
And Democrats they’re in as much disarray as ever because the Biden agenda is imploding. Inflation is worsening, crime is surging and the border is still an absolute mess.
Just look at this new piece from “Axios”, revealing how Democrats are pointing fingers at the so-called Squad, and their far left agenda that is alienating moderate and independent voters all across the country. As the article lays out, far left Democrats pushed to defund the police, rename schools, tear down statues is hurting the party’s image more than ever.
So ahead of the 2022 midterms, ask yourself, what exactly do Democrats have to run on?
Here for reaction, FOX News contributors Charlie Hurt and Joe Concha, along with the author of “The Desecrators,” that’s going to be a good one, American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp, one of our favorites.
Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us here tonight.
Charlie, I want to start with you because, you know, Democrats came to town and they thought they had a mandate they won by like just this bill much and they started acting like, hey, Bernie Sanders, AOC, that’s the way we want to go, that’s what America wants, but evidently they’re wrong.
CHARLIE HURT, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah, I don’t know that we’ve ever seen quite of a misread of an election as we’ve seen in this past year. And you’re exactly right, they took a squeaker of an election and decided that they had some massive mandate, and probably quite frankly winning control of the Senate probably did an awful lot to doom them.
But, you know, a lot of these elections you know and obviously these are incredibly politically volatile times and a lot of times, you know, you see big elections revolve around say security or finances — the economy. But, you know, we’re looking at a situation right now where you’re looking at security and the economy and then a whole raft of other things including rank, appalling incompetence that within the administration — not to mention all the dishonesty and the collusion with the left-wing media and others in the government to promote the political party.
So I have to say that — you know, I think it’s probably pretty hard to overstate just how much Democrats are in trouble right now.
CHAFFETZ: Joe, you know, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, they’ve barely been in office just over a year, and already, Hillary Clinton comes trotting out and is out there voicing things making it look like that she wants to be the nominee in 2024.
Hillary Clinton, why is she coming out now?
JOE CONCHA, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Because she sees what the Democratic bench looks like, J.C., and says, okay, Joe Biden in his s and polling where he is right now, all right, that shouldn’t be a problem if I primaried him. Kamala Harris — no, not a very good candidate at all and probably a worse vice president. Andrew Cuomo, not available for comment. Gavin Newsom, he was nearly recalled last year and you go down the list in terms of who could run for president on the Democratic side and Hillary says yeah why not me, right?
But when you look at key battleground states, guys, it gets even worse for Mr. Biden, let’s face it. Presidential elections, they come down to seven or eight states. In the South, Joe Biden’s at 32 percent approval in Georgia, 33 percent in Florida. Out west, he’s at 35 percent in Nevada, 32 percent in Arizona. In the Midwest, Biden is at 30 percent in Ohio, 34 percent Michigan, 37 percent Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
That may explain why Democrats running for office in those states like Stacey Abrams are running away from Joe Biden when he visits as fast as Cooper Cup. And even in California, yes, California, the president is under water right now with more voters disapproving than approving of his performance.
On every issue and you brought it up before, Jason, inflation, crime, border, education — which is going to be a big, big issue in 2022, obviously in the midterms, foreign affairs, Biden-Harris is in the 30s or 20s on approval now.
And I’ll leave it here, the White House chief of staff Ron Klain telling Democratic senators on the Hill yesterday that Biden is going to tout all of his first year achievements in the upcoming State of the Union Address because they honestly feel they haven’t gotten enough credit for all they’ve done. So, an end zone dance? That doesn’t look totally disconnected from reality or anything, Jason, right?
CHAFFETZ: Yeah, that might be the shortest State of the Union we’ve ever had in this country.
Matt, look, you’re one of the smartest uh minds in understanding politics and what’s going on. Those numbers are so low, that means you got Democrats leaving, independents leaving, it’s unbelievable how low. What in the world do Democrats think that they have to run on at this point?
MATT SCHLAPP, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION CHAIRMAN: Well, they they’re in a bad situation because what this election is going to turn on, everything Joe and Charlie talked about our national security situation projecting weakness, inflation, people’s concern about the virus, people not going to work. All that being said, the problem is woke.
They bought into this idea that Americans were done with America, that Americans realized that we were so racist we couldn’t redeem ourselves. And this whole 1619/CRT/BLM mentality, and they can’t get out of it, Jason.
I don’t see what they do. They can’t condemn BLM. They can’t condemn the Squad. So they’re stuck with it. So they’re going to be in this pattern throughout the whole year.
And what the thing that I’m really watching, and I like what Joe said with these states and the fact that nobody, nobody is asking Joe Biden to come in and campaign with him. And literally less than nobody is asking Kamala Harris to come in and campaign for them.
So these Democrats feel a sense of desperation and now, independents are saying, P.U., I don’t want to hang out with these Democrats who half of us hung out with and their polling numbers look very much like Republicans, which means the spanking that is going to happen in November is something we haven’t seen in a long time.
CHAFFETZ: Charlie, OUTFRONT, they have Nancy Pelosi announcing that she’s running for reelection. I guarantee, you every Republican is going to talk about that in their own election. You have Hillary Clinton reentering the stage as if she is the most popular Democrats out there.
I mean, who do they have to communicate their message? And their policies have been failing us for the last year.
HURT: Yeah. No, it is an absolute disaster, I don’t think it’s unfair for Republicans to pick up Nancy Pelosi to run against them. You know, there was a time when Nancy Pelosi was the left-wing of her party. She is now like the center of her party. That’s how far off with the circus these people have run.
Of course, all of this comes — this is sort of the thing nobody talks about. All of this comes after you have a president in Donald Trump who ran a very, very centrist campaign, very much focused on issues — issues that were widely popular, not just among Republican voters , but also among Democrat voters.
So, voters are sitting around listening to all this crazy nonsense from people like Nancy Pelosi in now Joe Biden and all these people remembering, wait a minute, what about the platform that Donald Trump brought to Washington? And he built this amazing coalition around these issues that were broadly popular — again, not just among Republicans, but also among Democrats. And I think that that makes it all the more difficult for Democrats going forward.
CHAFFETZ: Joe, I want to take pick up on what Matt was talking about. Nobody wants Joe Biden to come to town. Kamala Harris would be a disaster. I don’t know she can get 36 people in a gymnasium to really get excited to come see her.
So, what are they going to do in terms of communication? Because their policies are upside down and they don’t have good communicators. They don’t have a Bill Clinton. They don’t have a Barack Obama. They are stuck with this team.
CONCHA: That’s right. You remember 2004, Barack Obama had that keynote address and you say, okay, that could be the future and you wonder who the future is within the Democratic Party and then you see, all right, who has the most issue media followers right now? Oh, that’s Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez, that wouldn’t be a good idea to make her the face of the party.
But Republicans, I’m sure, and Matt will agree with me on this, they need to have something resembling — and I know Sean has talked about this before — a Contract with America, right? Okay, you can’t just say they suck, and elect us, right? That is a playbook that could work probably still given the numbers, but you have to lay it out and very simple terms and use the Youngkin playbook like they did in Virginia, and say, okay, we’re going to make parents — we put them first on education.
In inflation, we’re not going to spend trillions of dollars and say that’s going to lower the deficit. And on crime, we believe on refunding the police, not defunding and DAs enforcing the law, and so on.
So, very clear, very common sense and you’ll win this going away and retire Nancy Pelosi for good, Jason.
CHAFFETZ: Last word to Matt, what is the Republican message as they go into this stretch coming up into November?
SCHLAPP: Common sense. We’re not going to follow this whole idea that America is a racist place, and we’re going to look at those Trump policies that help the working men and women, the forgotten men and women that have been leading to this realignment with minority voters. African-Americans, as much as 35 percent of them saying they are going to report Republican next time. Hispanics, roughly even between Rs and Ds.
Those where the Trump policies that brought all these no voters to the coalition. Package up those Trump policies, run on those Trump policies, and that is your agenda.
CHAFFETZ: Yeah, and if you are Republican and you are anti- Trump, go ahead and tell me what you disagree with in terms of Donald Trump’s policies. I would be fascinated to hear what that is.
Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us tonight.
All right. Straight ahead, crime continues to spiral out of control and America’s liberal cities. We’ll bring you the latest, plus, Leo, one of our favorites, will join us with reaction.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHAFFETZ: Welcome back to the special edition of HANNITY.
As America’s crime wave continues to rage out of control, it is making the jobs of men and women in law enforcement were dangerous than ever. Last week in Phoenix, nine — nine officers were hurt in an ambush shooting that stunned that community. The Phoenix police department has just released the first body cam video from the incident and our own Trace Gallagher is here with a full report — Trace.
TRACE GALLAGHER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: And, Jason, Phoenix police are releasing a clip of that bodycam video, but it’s enough to show how the officers we’re ambushed. They were responding to a call 2:00 o’clock in the morning about a woman shot by an intruder. Police were also told there were several armed people inside the home. When they arrived a man and the doorway calls the officer inside claiming the woman who was shot is in dire straits. Then watch what happens.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSPECT: Come on. Come on. She’s chocking on her own blood. Come on ,broo. Come on.
OFFICER: Who’s all in the house?
SUSPECT: Just mee.
(GUNFIRE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: The man at the door opens fire, the officer was hit in the arm another officer ran away yelling 999, meaning officer down. Within seconds, more police and SWAT teams arrived on scene and the suspect or suspects inside the house fired dozens more rounds, hitting more officers. In all, nine of them wounded, all we’re told will survive.
The standoff in shooting did not end until the suspect to initially ambushed police killed himself. It is just one more example of this ongoing war on police.
CHAFFETZ: Trace, thank you so much for sharing that with us.
All right. Now, crime continues to spiral out of control and Democratic run cities. We are learning tonight a woman with 96 — 96 prior arrests was arrested and then released. Yet again this week after shoplifting for a New York City Target store.
Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Adams is cracking down on a surging subway crime with his new safety claim which will send 1,000 police officers and 30 teams of healthcare workers onto the subway to address the growing homelessness crisis.
Joining us now with reaction, FOX News contributor Leo Terrell.
Leo, thanks so much for joining us.
What’s your reaction to the crime? I mean, it is multifaceted, it is not an easy fix, but it does require the politician supporting the police officers and having prosecutors that actually prosecute the crimes.
LEO TERRELL, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: No, you actually correctly stated it properly. Look, the police officers could not do their job. Eric Adams and in some way his program, is meaningless, Jason, without Alvin Bragg, the district attorney. If the district attorney’s of these Democratic cities do not cooperate, the career criminals will gain the system. You just showed an example of a woman 96 times, she’s gaming the system.
Career criminals can earn a living in Democratic cities. Crime does pay in Democratic cities.
What bothers me is Eric Adams wants credit for doing a good job. He’s done nothing until he calls out Alvin Bragg, and until every one of these DAs come to the plate and prosecute these individuals who the officers are arresting. It is meaningless, totally meaningless, Jason.
CHAFFETZ: You are in California, what is going on with Gascon, the L.A. district attorney? Is he feeling any heat? Is he changing any of his methods or is he just continuing to let these criminals back out on the street?
TERRELL: Let me think about that, no, he’s a — he’s a monster. This city has been terrorized, no support from the district attorney. He is holding lockstep, Jason, by allowing criminals to walk the streets.
In fact, when an officer was shot in Los Angeles, thank goodness the feds came in and prosecuted gang members. George Gascon — I want to be clear to the FOX viewers, he is a friend to criminals. He is soft on crime.
And, Jason, we could talk about these cases every day. I want to be clear about this, until prosecutors hold their feet to the fire we have to get rid of all these Democratic prosecutors, these George Soros prosecutors, or else you will see Democratic cities taken over by criminals.
They’re earning their living because they get out in the streets within 24 hours. It’s a waste of time. Police officers can’t do their jobs.
CHAFFETZ: Yeah, ultimately, voters have got to step up. They got to pay attention to the elections that may be they don’t hear as much about because they have to elect the prosecutors that are going to do this and hold those mayors accountable, kick them out if they’re not doing their job.
Leo Terrell, thank you so much for joining us.
More of the special edition of HANNITY right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHAFFETZ: Welcome back to the special edition of HANNITY. Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have tonight. Thanks for being with us.
And thank you for Sean for letting me sit in for him. Remember to set your DVR so you never miss an episode. And don’t forget, you can check out my FOX News audio podcast “Jason in the House”. “Jason in the House” wherever you get podcasts.
For now, though, stay tuned because the “The Ingraham Angle” is up next. Have a great weekend.
Content and Programming Copyright 2022 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2022 VIQ Media Transcription, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of VIQ Media Transcription, Inc. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.
