Ubiquitous
2015-09-18 09:00:00 UTC
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And welcome to "Hannity." Tonight, fresh off another
strong debate performance, Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail. Now,
he hosted a town hall meeting in New Hampshire just a few hours ago. Here are
some of the highlights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, R-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Always making speeches. I then --
because we have to make our country great again, right?
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: I love the vets. We have a lot of vets here tonight.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: In leadership, I win, like, forget it, not even a contest, so much
higher than everybody else, like two or three -- I don't know. You got all
these cameras going, they can tell you.
And we're going to do question and answer. You can make them vicious,
violent, horrible questions, even though you're sort of probably on live
television. How many cameras are lit? Yes, there's a lot of them. Every time
I speak now, it's on live television. You know why? It is a very simple
business. Ratings.
The other thing I want to just dwell on for two seconds, and we -- probably,
you've heard, but we are going to build a wall at the border. We're going to
build a wall.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: I'm going to make this wall so beautiful because when I'm gone,
they're going to probably change the name to the Trump wall. I've got to make
it beautiful. I've got to make...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Also, tonight, Donald Trump was center stage at the second GOP
debate. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: What I am far and away greater than an entertainer is a businessman,
and that's the kind of mindset this country needs to bring it back. We will
do -- between that, Ukraine, all of the other problems, we won't have the
kind of problems that our country has right now with Russia and many other
nations.
And nobody ever mentions North Korea, where you have this maniac sitting
there, and he actually has nuclear weapons. And somebody better start
thinking about North Korea and perhaps a couple of other places.
The hedge fund guys won't like me as much as they like me right now. I know
them all. But they'll pay more. I know people that are making a tremendous
amount of money and paying virtually no tax, and I think it is unfair.
If I'm president, many of the things that we discussed tonight will not be
forgotten. We'll find solutions. And the world will respect us. They will
respect us like never before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Joining us now with reaction, 2016 GOP presidential candidate Donald
Trump. Mr. Trump, good to see you, sir.
TRUMP: Hi, Sean.
HANNITY: All right, you definitely get the best and funniest post- debate
tweet award when you put up today, "CNN had the highest ratings in their
history and the highest ratings ever. Will they send me flowers and a thank
you note?"
Why do I not suspect that's coming?
TRUMP: Well, they probably will be sending me something. I think they're very
thankful. But you know, these things usually have, like, a million people,
two million people. And they'll probably have 23 million, 24 million, 25
million people based on their early numbers. So we'll see. But maybe I'll
get some flowers from CNN. Who knows?
HANNITY: Were you happy with the format? It almost was to me a little bit
WWE. You said this about this person, they said this about you, and we want
you to fight. and then it went on for three hours. Happy with it, unhappy?
You think it was productive?
TRUMP: Well, the thing that made me most upset, and everybody else, too, was
the three hours because to be standing up for three hours, answering
questions in the form of a debate -- and I think the viewers probably -- you
know, frankly, I think they would have done as well as -- you know, I think
they set a record in the history of CNN. As well as they've done, they would
have done better if it was an hour show. It was too much. It was too long.
And I would imagine at a certain point, people get bore with that.
But I liked the way that, you know, certain things happened. I would say
this. It was a little bit like WWE, the great Vince McMahon, who was a
traffic guy, the way -- and every question had to do with me. It was, Mr.
Trump said this, Mr. Trump -- I think they said 46 percent of the questions
had something like that. So I thought it was a little bit unusual.
HANNITY: You know, there's a disparity. Three snap polls, Drudge poll, a
couple of other polls last night, had you at 60 percent the winner. If you
listen to the political class, the punditry class, the so-called experts,
they didn't give you the win. How do you explain that disparity?
TRUMP: Well, they've actually had, yes, three polls, "Time" magazine and
Newsmax and Drudge, which are terrific polls. Those are big. You know, it's
over a million people. And they voted for me between 60 percent and almost 70
percent. And that's out of 15 people. That's that lot of people. But they
voted for me that I won and won easily. I think second place was, like, 10. I
was at 60-something, and second place was at 10.
But if you watched the pundits, I mean, they all said I did fine, but they
didn't say I won. So the people that vote -- and maybe that's the important
ones -- but the people that vote said I won.
And you know, don't forget again, very much like Fox -- I hate to bring this
up, but I was asked probably the toughest questions because everything was
about, like, Trump said this, Trump said that. And even when the question
wasn't asked to me, they were saying, Trump said this, how would you respond.
So I think probably by far I was asked the toughest questions. But the voters
all said that I won by a lot. So we'll see. I guess in the end, it doesn't
matter.
HANNITY: You know, you -- a lot of pressure was brought to bear on you that
you signed the loyalty pledge, that if you didn't win the nomination
yourself, that you would support the nominee. It's interesting because as I
watched that all unfold, then you have some people on the stage last night
questioning your temperament with the nuclear button. Did that bother you?
And what's your -- what's your answer to them?
TRUMP: No, they want to get publicity off of me. I mean, they're dying. They
have 1 percent in the polls. Some of them are sitting senators that have 1
percent. They're very embarrassed. They're embarrassed in terms of their own
constituency back in their state.
And frankly, I understand exactly what they're doing. So they -- a couple of
them -- actually, Mike Huckabee, who's a terrific guy, said to me, I'm going
to attack you because the only way I'm going to get some publicity out of
this is to attack you. And he was kidding. We were just having fun.
But he was having a hard time getting some air time. He said, The only way
I'm going to get air time is to attack you. And we laughed, but there's a
little truth to it, I guess, although everybody that's attacked me, if you
look at Perry and if you look at everybody -- I mean, everybody so far that's
attacked me has gone down. We'll see what happens. Hopefully, that
continues.
HANNITY: And obviously, I think you were prepared for it. You had made those
remarks the day before, that you had anticipated that.
Let me show two moments with Jeb Bush, one I thought was a funny moment with
your Secret Service names, followed up facing off in a battle of words, and
get your reaction to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEB BUSH, R-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ever-ready. It's very high-energy,
Donald.
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Trump?
TRUMP: Humble.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: According to what you said on one of the talk shows, you got Hillary
Clinton to go to your wedding.
TRUMP: That's true.
BUSH: Because you gave her money.
TRUMP: That's true.
BUSH: Maybe it works for Hillary Clinton...
TRUMP: I was -- excuse me, Jeb.
BUSH: ... it doesn't work for anybody on this stage.
TRUMP: Jeb, I was a businessman. I got along with Clinton. I got along with
everybody. That was my job, to get along with people.
BUSH: But the simple fact is...
TRUMP: I didn't want to -- excuse me, one second.
BUSH: No. The simple fact is...
TRUMP: I didn't want to -- Jeb...
BUSH: ... Donald...
TRUMP: OK...
BUSH: ... you didn't not take...
TRUMP: More energy tonight. I like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, both were pretty funny moments, but there's a serious
side to this issue, and I've asked you this question before. And that is, you
fully acknowledge the system is corrupt. You also say that you took advantage
of it, you donate, they would take your calls.
What's the reason -- and that you want to change the system. You know, what
would have happened if you didn't donate? Would projects have been lost?
Would workers be fired? What would have happened?
TRUMP: Well, you wouldn't have done a lot of deals. I mean, frankly -- and
that's maybe human nature to a certain extent, Sean. You know, you donate,
and two years later, three years later, you need approvals or you need to go
get something or you need something for outside or from outside the country,
you need something from State Department, or whatever. And if you donated,
they think well of you.
And if you don't -- and I'm not just saying one thing for another. I'm just
saying years later. If you donate, they think, well -- I would say, just to
answer your question, yes, probably many things would not have happened,
which is a shame.
We need transparency in our system. We have no transparency or we don't have
proper transparency, so we need transparency. I know how to fix the system.
Nobody else does because I've been a part of the system -- for better or
worse, but I've been a part of the system as a businessman.
One of the magazines just called me a world class businessman, which in all
fairness, I am. I've been part of the system. So whether it's that or whether
it's taxes or whether it's anything else, I've been such a big part of it,
I'm the one that knows how to fix it and fix it properly so that we can
really go to greatness from where we are right now as a country.
HANNITY: All right, we're going to take a break. We'll come back. More with
Donald Trump right after this.
Also tonight, we'll check in with other GOP presidential candidates,
reactions from Senator Ted Cruz, Governor Bush, Governor Chris Christie.
That and more tonight as "Hannity" continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity," as we continue with 2016 GOP
presidential candidate -- Donald Trump is with us.
Last night, there was a battle, got a lot of press, the match-up between you
and Carly Fiorina. You said she's a beautiful woman.
Do you think there's a bit of a double standard in terms of, people make fun
of you all the time, make fun of your hair all the time. They did it on Jimmy
Fallon with Hillary Clinton last night. Is there a double standard? Do you
think maybe we're too sensitive about comments? And is that changing in
politics?
TRUMP: Well, it's not only a double standard, it's being politically correct.
And if you say something nice about somebody -- like, last night, I was very
nice to her, and you know, some people thought I was being sarcastic, and you
know, et cetera, et cetera.
But actually, if you look back at the records on Carly, she was brutal on
Barbara Boxer. She was very nasty. She was running against Barbara Boxer. She
lost in a landslide. But during the run, she was really horrible about
Barbara Boxer's looks. And she attacked her on her looks.
And also, she attacked Meg Whitman on her look. And there's a big article
about it. So I just read that. Somebody just sent it to me.
So Carly is, you know, playing the double standard. She's playing the game
herself. But she attacked Meg Whitman and she attacked Barbara Boxer, who she
ran against for the U.S. Senate in California, and probably a race she should
have won and she lost.
HANNITY: When Frank Luntz did his focus group last night, one of the lines --
and there were a couple of them that resonated very well with voters -- had
to do with you saying, Hey, we're ignoring North Korea and this maniac that
already has a nuclear weapon. And then, of course, the issue of the Iranian
deal.
I'm have something a hard time understanding why everybody on that stage
wouldn't rip up this Iranian deal because I defy anybody to tell me one thing
that we won in that deal. What would you do with both those countries?
TRUMP: Well, let me just say, first of all, the Iranian deal is a disaster.
It's one of the most incompetently drawn contracts -- forget about between
nations, it's just one of the worst drawn contracts I've ever seen.
Even the fact that we don't even get our prisoners back. I mean, they have
these four prisoners. We don't get them back, and they're great people and
there's no reason they should be there.
But so many things, including 24 days. We don't have to discuss it because
you discuss it every night. It's an incompetently drawn contract.
But I said last night, you know, we're talking about Iran. In the meantime,
you have North Korea where they actually have the nukes already made, and you
have this maniac over there threatening them every two weeks that we're going
to use them in the United States and every place else, and nobody even talks
about him. Nobody mentions him.
You other places, too, by the way, but let's not even mention that. But you
have North Korea, where every two weeks, he's proclaiming that he's going to
start sending nukes, and nobody ever even mentions it, and he actually has
the nukes. Iran doesn't.
So it's -- you know, it's a terrible situation. Look, we're run by
incompetent people, Sean. We need people of great competence.
HANNITY: That's true. Two other things that you touched on last night. I have
always argued that English is the language of success in America. That's one.
And the fact that you'd raise taxes on the hedge fund guys. And they're not
going to like you.
Are you saying that they have loopholes, that they're not paying as much as
the rest of us?
TRUMP: Well, first of all, the English -- I mean, this is a country where
you're supposed to speak English. And the only way you're going to really
assimilate -- and you said it very well -- and become successful and very
successful in this country is to speak English.
So I came out very strongly that, you know, you should be speaking English in
this country, as opposed to speaking Spanish because all of a sudden, we'll
end up in a country with two languages, and I don't want to see that and I'm
sure you don't.
As far as the hedge fund guys, I know them very well. They're giving a lot of
money to Jeb Bush. They're giving a lot of money to Hillary. They're going
to be well-taken care of if that works, if they get in, if for some reason,
one of them get in. But a lot of money -- I mean, these are people that I
know. Some are friends of mine. But they're giving a lot of money to the
different candidates.
I'm self-funding totally. I'm putting up my own money. I don't want any
money. I turning down -- I feel foolish. I'm turning down tens of millions
dollars of money that would come into my campaign, and I don't want it. I'm
self-funding.
And I don't know if I'm given credit for that. I think I am. Some people say
it's the best thing they've ever heard of. But I'm spending my own money so
that I'm working for the people. I'll do what's right for United States. I
won't be doing what's right for a lobbyist that's representing a big car
company or country or something.
HANNITY: If you're elected president, would you take a salary?
TRUMP: No, I won't. I won't do that. Actually, you and I discussed that once
before. I will take no salary whatsoever.
HANNITY: All right, Mr. Trump, thanks so much for being with us. We
appreciate your time.
TRUMP: Thank you very much.
HANNITY: Coming up next tonight right here on "Hannity"...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: You're proud of your family, just as I am.
TRUMP: Correct.
BUSH: To subject my wife into the middle of a raucous political conversation
was completely inappropriate, and I hope you apologize for that, Donald.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, he didn't apologize. Former governor Jeb Bush went after
Trump last night in the debate. He'll join us next.
Also, later tonight, you'll hear from Senator Ted Cruz, Governor Chris
Christie and much more as we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity." So during last night's GOP debate,
former Florida governor Jeb Bush -- well, he got pretty fiery as he promoted
his track record, defended his family and even took on one of his biggest
critics. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: I have a proven record of conservative leadership where I cut taxes $19
billion over eight years. We shrunk the state government workforce. He
created a climate that led the nation in job growth, 7 out of 8 years.
He wanted casino gambling in Florida.
TRUMP: I did not.
BUSH: Yes, you did.
TRUMP: Totally false.
BUSH: You wanted it, and you didn't get it because I was opposed to casino
gambling before...
TRUMP: I promise, I would have gotten it.
BUSH: ... during and after! And that's not -- I'm not going to be bought by
anybody!
TRUMP: I promise...
BUSH: You're proud of your family, just as I am.
TRUMP: Correct.
BUSH: To subject my wife into the middle of a raucous political conversation
was completely inappropriate. I hope you apologize for that, Donald.
We don't have to be the world's policeman, but we certainly have to be the
world's leader. We need to have -- make sure that the world knows that we're
serious, that we're engaged, that we're not going to pull back, that our word
matters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Joining us now with a recap of his debate performance, the man
himself, 2016 hopeful, former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Governor, good to
see you. How are you?
BUSH: I'm doing great, Sean. Hope you are, as well.
HANNITY: By all accounts, everyone thinks you did a lot better than the first
debate. How do you feel about the format, the debate, the, You said this
about him, you said that about her, and on and on. Do you like that? Or is it
productive, not productive?
BUSH: Look, it's ratings-driven, I think, and it's entertaining. And all
that's OK, but it's not a debate per se. A debate would be where you actually
can complete a sentence and have the ability to interact with people.
But it was great. I enjoyed it a lot, and it was certainly a chance for me to
lay out my record and to point out some of the differences, particularly with
Donald Trump, who's been saying things about me that aren't true. And so I
had a good time doing it.
HANNITY: Yes. What do you say -- I mean, there was a lot of back and forth
between you and Donald Trump. It seemed the media -- both of you got the most
time. He got a little more time than you did, but you two had the most time
of any of the other candidates during the debate.
What is your relationship with him like? And is it contentious? Do you -- are
the things that you don't like? You asked him to apologize, for example, last
night. He said he would not.
BUSH: Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Look, I got -- I have big problems with his lack
of interest in learning about the job of being president of the United
States. I have problems that it concerns me that he gets his foreign policy
information watching the shows.
A lot of things concern me about him, but I don't hold any animus against the
guy. I don't -- in the breaks, he seems like a nice person. His children are
good people. Everybody says that. And so I don't hold any kind of personal
problem with the guy at all.
But I do think that he needs to be challenged, like all of us, about what our
experience is to be president of the United States. This is a big, serious
job and you have to have the skills necessary to lead.
HANNITY: What is going on in your mind when you see the top two people in the
polls right now never held any political office, and in a field of 16, they
get over 50 percent of primary voters, at least in terms of the polls. We're
four-and-a-half months away. That's an eternity in politics. But what does it
tell you?
BUSH: Well, it is an eternity. And we just started to advertise, and I'm
campaigning hard and I'm confident as we move forward that I'll do fine.
But it is something that I think you have to respect. And that is that people
are deeply, deeply angry about the dysfunction in Washington. And I can tell
the story that I was a disruptor in Tallahassee. I turned the whole place
upside down and things got better because I did it.
The things that people want in Washington I did in Tallahassee -- career
civil service reform, Lobbying reform, making sure that government didn't
grow faster than people's ability to pay for it. All the things that I got to
do I could bring to Washington because I have the experience to do it. But I
got to go tell people that. That's my job. That's my responsibility.
HANNITY: Governor, I've looked at your Florida record. I've discussed a lot
of these issues with you. You governed as a very solid conservative. You
created a lot of jobs. You cut taxes -- don't remember the exact number --
you probably do -- a number of times.
BUSH: $19 billion!
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: What's that?
BUSH: Yes. Every year.
HANNITY: All right...
BUSH: $19 billion every year I cut taxes.
HANNITY: ... you went up to AAA bond rating, which is an enormous success.
You even where the first governor to institute state -- state vouchers, a
school voucher system.
And whenever your name comes up on social media, it always immediately races
to immigration and Common Core. I think you know that that's true, right?
What is your answer to those people that doubt your conservative credentials
because of these two issues?
BUSH: Listen to me talk about education, where we had the greatest gains in
learning of any state in the country by comprehensively challenging the
teachers union, the bureaucracy and creating school choice and eliminating
social promotion. Higher standards with real accountability created the
greatest learning gains.
Listen to me explain that I've never said that the federal government should
have any say in the creation of content or curriculum or standards. This
should be a state responsibility that is implemented at the local level.
Listen to me, and I think people begin to know that when they see that I've
done and see what I believe that there should be no concerns at all.
As it relates to immigration, three years ago, I wrote a book about it called
"Immigration Wars" that sets out a clear strategy to secure the border, to
deal with the problems that are real.
I get why people are angry. This administration is an administration that has
done absolutely nothing to secure the border. And he's used -- Obama's used
this as a wedge issue.
HANNITY: Yes.
BUSH: Hillary Clinton wants to use it as a wedge issue. I think we need to
get beyond that.
HANNITY: Our intelligence agencies tell us that there is zero doubt in their
minds that they believe that Syrian, Iraqi refugees will be infiltrated by
ISIS and al Qaeda. The president's bringing at least 10,000 into this
country. Bad idea?
BUSH: Its a bad idea if there's no screening. And I for one think that we
should take every Christian Iraqi and every Christian Syrian who are in a
situation right now that if they say where they are, they'll be killed.
That's the -- that's the...
HANNITY: How do we ascertain...
BUSH: ... the world that a Christian lives in the Middle East with Islamic
terrorism. We have a duty I think to help people. But the best way to solve
this problem is to lead the world in creating a third way, which is to
eliminate ISIS from the face of the earth and to remove Assad so that there
could be a stable Syria. It is a tragedy that 11 million people have been
displaced in a country of 23 million, and 250,000 probably have died under
the brutality of the Assad regime.
HANNITY: What about Kim Davis? That came up last night. You said she must
respect the rule of law. Didn't her job description change, though? In other
words, she was hired to do one job, that job description changed. She's
obviously a person of deep faith and conviction and conscience, and the woman
spent six days in jail.
And you know, there's been talk about -- you know, I can't imagine that if
somebody held a liberal position in government that they would lose their job
or be sent to jail like that.
BUSH: They have a duty to enforce the law, and the law did change. But
there's a way to have accommodations for someone that's clearly acting on her
religious conscience. It was clear when she -- this Monday morning, last
Monday morning, when she spoke, she spoke from her heart. There is a deep,
abiding faith there. This isn't made up.
And the 1st Amendment protects her right to have a conscience based on a set
of values that comes from her -- in her case, her belief that Jesus is her
savior. And I think that (INAUDIBLE) a big, tolerant country like ours, we
ought to find some accommodation.
It may require the Kentucky legislature to change the law, but it ought to be
done. This is -- this is something can be worked out in Kentucky and every
other place where it plays out.
What we shouldn't do, though, is to say you can't have religious conscience.
As Hillary Clinton has said, basically, you can have your religious views in
the church pews or at your home, but don't act on those views in the public
scare. That is a violation of the 1st Amendment of our great -- of our
Constitution.
HANNITY: Governor, thank you for being with us. And congrats on a good night
last night.
Coming up next tonight here on "Hannity"...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ, R-TEXAS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If there's anyone up here who
would be bound by this catastrophic dealt with Iran, they're giving up...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUZ: No president of the United States, Republican or Democrat, has the
authority to give away or sovereignty. And so if there is anyone up here who
would be bound by this catastrophic deal with Iran, they are giving up the
core responsibility of commander in chief.
I am only candidate on this stage who has never supported and in fact who
helped lead a fight to stop a massive amnesty plan in 2013 when Barack Obama
and Harry Reid joined the Washington Republicans in a massive amnesty plan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: That it was 2016 presidential candidate, Texas Senator Ted Cruz at
last night's GOP presidential debate. He joins us now. Senator, good to see
you, senator.
I want to get into this, because I agree with you, I think that there is a
reason that we have insurgent candidates at the top, Donald Trump, Carly
Fiorina, Ben Carson, and you. I would view you as the insider insurgent, if
you will. And that is people have had it with the Republican Party betraying
their base, breaking their word, now using the power of the purse on either
immigration or on Obamacare. And I would imagine Planned Parenthood is going
to be a huge fight, too. Why won't they fight? Why are they surrendering?
CRUZ: Sean, you're exactly right, people are fed up with Washington. And I
think this 2016 primary field reflects that.
You know, you look at Republican leadership in Congress and their first step
is always, always, always to surrender. And it's a pretty clear contrast.
Barack Obama is actually committed to his principles. I'll give him credit
for that. I disagree with his principles. I think they're dangerous and
they're wrong, but he's committed to them. So Barack Obama tells Congress if
you don't fund 100 percent of Obamacare, I, Barack Obama, will veto funding
for entire federal government. And GOP leadership caves.
Barack Obama says, if you don't fund 100 percent of my illegal executive
amnesty, I'll veto funding for the entire federal government. And GOP
leadership caves.
Barack Obama says now, if you don't fund Planned Parenthood, a private
organization, is not part of the government, but if you don't give $500
million to this private organization that is committing ongoing criminal
acts, I, Barack Obama, will veto funding for the government. And the response
from Republican leadership is they preemptively surrender. They say we will
not have a shutdown, which means they hand all decision-making authority to
Barack Obama and Harry Reid and to Nancy Pelosi.
That's why people are frustrated. And they're looking for leaders who don't
just talk about it but have a record to standing up to Washington, standing
up to both Democrats and, this is critical, to members of our own party, to
Republican leadership as well.
HANNITY: Is it another example -- I never understood the Corker- Cardin bill.
Doesn't the constitution talk about a two-thirds majority in the Senate over
treaties? Shouldn't they define it as a treaty and not let the president get
away with defining it as not being a treaty?
CRUZ: Absolutely, Sean. It made no sense. The Senate gave up our
constitutional authority to ratify this as a treaty. And right now leadership
doesn't want to win this fight. We've had a series of show votes.
But I laid out last week in a long letter to Leader McConnell and Speaker
Boehner a plan of attack to actually win to stop this Iran deal. Number one,
for Republican leaders in both chambers to conclude that the president had
not submitted the entire deal because he didn't hand over the side deals --
there are a couple of side deals dealing with inspections. And under the
terms of federal law, actually under Corker-Cardin, until the full deal is
submitted and 60 days have expired it's illegal for President Obama to lift
sanctions.
HANNITY: Then why don't they do that? Why don't they enforce the law as it's
written? It is very specifically says --
CRUZ: Yes.
HANNITY: -- any other amendments or annex indicators in this thing. Why
don't they hand over the whole deal, then the clock starts?
CRUZ: Because they don't want to win. Their sole object -- they were grinning
ear to ear because we had the votes this week, and the votes the Democrats by
and large all voted with Obama on this catastrophic Iranian deal and
Republicans voted against it. And from their view, OK, we've got a political
show vote, that's all that matters.
How about we use every constitutional power we have? And let me not right now
we're heading into a funding fight on September 30th. If Republican
leadership actually meant what we're telling the American people, that this
is the single greatest national security threat facing America, that the
Ayatollah Khomeini with a nuclear weapon could murder millions of Americans
or Israelis or Europeans, then we would use our constitutional authority to
stop it. We would pass a continuing resolution that says no funds may be used
to administer this catastrophic deal.
HANNITY: You can do it on all these things.
So I'm watching the WWE debate last night.
(LAUGHTER)
CRUZ: "You said this about, you said that about." I find myself frustrated
because I wanted to hear more from you. You did not get anywhere near the
time of the candidates. I wanted to hear more from Marco Rubio, more from
maybe Scott Walker, who got probably the least amount of time. Do you think
this is a helpful process? Would you do it differently?
CRUZ: Listen. I am encouraged by what we're seeing in the primaries across
the country. The debates themselves, the moderators are looking for clash.
HANNITY: A food fight.
CRUZ: They're looking for a food fight. They're trying to turn it into Jerry
Springer. I really was waiting to see if they would get someone to actually
take up a chair throw it.
HANNITY: I was waiting for a chair to go flying.
Here's what I want -- you are viewed as an insurgent candidate. How do you
break through to the top tier as you sit in the second tier right below in
the top four?
CRUZ: Well, we're right now national we're polling number four nationally.
I'm number three in Iowa. We're polling near the top in both New Hampshire
and South Carolina. Our focus is very much playing the long game. We're
building a grassroots team. We have united conservatives on the ground,
particularly in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, then all through the
Super Tuesday states, the so called SEC primary.
Our focus right now is on grassroots, number one, and then fundraising. One
of the incredible things -- the first debate we had on FOX News, in the
hundred hours that followed that, we raised $1.1 million as people all over
the country, they went to TedCruz.org, TedCruz.org, and they contributed. We
saw an explosion of momentum. It is my hope that that will continue.
And so our focus is on the long game because I think -- listen, after all
the fireworks and after all the fun ends, people are going to ask the
question, OK, I want an outsider, I want someone who will stand up and fight
in Washington, fight the Washington cartel. They're going to ask the next
question -- who actually has stood up and fought the Washington cartel? And I
think when it comes to record, there is a clear difference between campaign
conservatives who suddenly discover they're against Planned Parenthood when
they're running for president, and a consistent conservative who's been
standing and fighting the fight.
You know, when the gang of eight was being pushed, when Marco Rubio and a
number of others were pushing the gang of eight, I stood shoulder to shoulder
with Jeff Sessions leading the fight to defeat amnesty. And if you look at
the other folks on that stage, none of them were there as part of that fight,
leading the fight to stop amnesty. So now they say they are against it. But
when the fight was happening, when they had an opportunity to take on the
Washington cartel they didn't step up to the plate. And I think that's what
primary voters are looking for is someone they can trust, a consistent
conservative the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
HANNITY: I hope I'm wrong, but I predict on the two issues we were discussing
earlier, Planned Parenthood funding and on the conditions for the release of
funds to Iran, I don't think they're going to make it. I think they're going
to cave. And I think this is just going to fuel conservative anger,
justifiable anger, in my view.
But Senator, good to see you. Thank you so much for taking time to be with
us.
CRUZ: Thank you, Sean. God bless you.
HANNITY: Appreciate it. And coming up next right here tonight on
HANNITY.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, R-N.J.: To the 55-year-old construction worker out in
that audience tonight who doesn't have a job, who can't fund his child's
education, I've got to tell you the truth. They could care less about your
careers. They care about theirs. Let's start talking about that on the stage.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Big talk from last night's debate. We'll check in with Governor
Chris Christie in studio coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIE: While I'm as entertained as anyone about this personal back and
forth about the history of Donald and Carly's career, for the 55-year- old
construction worker out in that audience tonight who doesn't have a job, who
can't fund his child's education, I've got to tell you the truth. They could
care less about your careers. They care about theirs. Let's start talking
about that on this stage and stop playing the games.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, that was 2016 Republican presidential candidate, the
governor of the great state of New Jersey in last night's debate. Christie's
line struck a chord with viewers. Joining us now is the man himself, Governor
Chris Christie. You don't look tired. Three hours up there is a little rough.
CHRISTIE: It was a lot. It was a lot. But we're all right. We're standing.
HANNITY: I thought you had two really great moments last night. And I thought
you had a great debate overall, and that was the consensus of everything I
read this morning. One was what happened there, but also when you started the
debate, you said pan away to the crowd. Are you better off than you were
seven years ago? No, we're not.
CHRISTIE: No. I mean, listen, and what I said exactly to these folks is do
you think your children are going to have a better life than you have? And
that Sean is the sin, the biggest sin of the Obama administration. In seven
short years they've stolen people's faith and their trust in the fact that
their children will have a better life than them. And that's why I'm running
for president because I'm going to restore that.
HANNITY: I got the feeling last night that you got your mojo back, that the
Chris Christie, the brash, funny, loving -- you enjoy the spotlight.
CHRISTIE: I do.
HANNITY: You are very comfortable up there. I felt some other candidates were
not as comfortable. So I felt like you really hit your stride last night.
CHRISTIE: I felt good last night, Sean. I was on Megan's show. And she asked
me what do you need to do? I said, listen, I just need to be myself. And I
think that's sometimes easier said than done when you're in an atmosphere
with 11 people in three hours. But we did it.
HANNITY: Why do you want to steal my Social Security money? Here's my
argument, and I agree with you there was never a lockbox. Yhey stole our
money.
CUOMO: Yes.
HANNITY: OK. Why do I feel that means testing at this point -- which, by the
way, I understand the arguments. But isn't it really government stealing?
It's my money, I paid it in, and the government will take it.
CHRISTIE: Well, here's the alternative.
HANNITY: Yes.
CHRISTIE: The alternative is they're going to take the cap off the Social
Security tax and they will steal from you now. And they'll steal more from
you now.
HANNITY: So I'm going to get ripped off legally by my government.
CHRISTIE: That is exactly right. And here is the thing. I don't want to give
this government another nickel, because, you know what, if they take the cap
off the Social Security tax to fix the Social Security problem, you know
what's going to happen, they'll steal that money, too. And then they're
going to come to you 15 or 20 years from now when you and I are ready to
retire and they're going to tell us we can't have it anyway.
Let's belly up to the bar now and be honest about it. And you know what, for
guys like you and I --
HANNITY: Like you.
CHRISTIE: Please.
(LAUGHTER)
CHRISTIE: We do not want to compare W2s, buddy. But for guys like us, we've
worked hard. This country has been great to us, too. I don't want people who
have worked hard and played by the rules, that 55-year-old construction
worker I was talking about last night, to have to choose between rent and
food when he retires.
HANNITY: It's been a $5,000 median income decline since Obama has been
president.
CHRISTIE: It's outrageous. And that's why last night I was saying the things
I'm saying, Sean. You can't continue to talk about yourself. Leadership is
not about me. It's about us.
HANNITY: I think that is a good narrative. I think it's working for you. I'm
sure you're going to continue that.
Let me go to the immigration issue. You said that you think that the Trump
plan is unworkable. Here's what we're paying. We're paying billions and
billions of dollars every year, the impact on our educational system, our
health care system, our criminal justice system. And that's just the tip of
the iceberg. People don't respect our laws and sovereignty, 94 million
Americans out of the labor force, 50 million in poverty, 46 million on food
stamps. My question is, those people are now competing for limited jobs,
driving down wages. Wouldn't we, in the end, save money if we said you didn't
respect our laws, go home?
CHRISTIE: We'll save money by enforcing the law, right? So understand what
I'm saying. Donald thinks we'll get rid of all of them within two years. That
is 15,000 people a day, every day for two years. It's not going to happen.
So what I'm saying is let's enforce the laws, let's enforce the laws, Sean,
this way. Let's make e-verify happen immediately. And anybody who employs
someone who is here illegally will get double the fine, the find will be
double whatever they make off those folks. That's where you'll dry it up and
then those people will leave on their own.
But they're not going to leave -- If what we're going to do is have police
that we're going to round everybody up that way, I know this because I did
this for seven years. There are not enough police officers to do it.
HANNITY: Can we hire more?
CHRISTIE: We could hire more. We're talking about a hundred thousand or more.
HANNITY: If you do the math and how much it's costing the educational,
criminal justice, health care system. I haven't fun the numbers but I have to
imagine that in the end we save money.
CHRISTIE: You may save money over 30 years, but in the short term, it's going
to be huge. But here's the thing. We can do it an easier way. People are
here to work. Unlike what Hillary Clinton thinks, they're not here to vote.
HANNITY: Some are here to wreak havoc on our country.
CHRISTIE: And, by the way, those people should be arrested, jailed, and after
they serve their time for committing their crime --
HANNITY: We let them out so they can commit more crimes.
CHRISTIE: Of course, and that is because this president is lawless and he
allows sanctuary cities. Let me tell you, Sean, one of the first things I'll
do as president is give everybody, you've got 100 days, 100 days to start
enforcing immigration laws in your city. And if you don't, we're going to
revoke federal aid.
HANNITY: Let me ask you. You are a prolife governor in a blue state. You
defunded Planned Parenthood. Republicans have this tough moment. I want to go
back to this moment in the debate last night. They've got to decide are they
going to let the president, pass a CR and let the president veto it and
shutdown the government? Should they do that in your opinion?
CHRISTIE: They should not only do that, they should put everything on the
president's desk that he's going to veto. We should do tax reform and put it
on --
HANNITY: Why haven't they done it?
CHRISTIE: I don't know, Sean. Listen, I campaigned, as you know, in 2014 not
only for governors but for Senate candidates around this country who said if
we get a majority in the United States Senate we're going to do these things.
Now they're saying, oh, no, no, we need 60 because of the filibuster rule.
Do your job. And that is what the American people are so frustrated by. Let
the country see he's the obstructionist in chief. If we pass good Republican
tax reform and he vetoes it, there will be outrage in this country.
HANNITY: You need to do that on everything.
CHRISTIE: Of course. Let's repeal and replace Obamacare with a market based
system that we put on his desk. He wants to veto it, let him veto it.
HANNITY: You don't look tired from a guy that flew in from California.
CHRISTIE: Listen, I'm hot, baby. I'm ready. I'm rolling.
HANNITY: All right, governor, good to see you.
CHRISTIE: Thanks for having me on.
HANNITY: Appreciate it.
When we come back, we need your help, a very important "Question of the Day"
next, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." And it's time for tonight's "Question of
the Day." So who do you think won last night's debate? Just got to
Facebook.com/SeanHannity, @SeanHannity on Twitter and let us know what you
think. That is all the time we have left this evening. Don't forget, set your
DVR so you never miss an episode. We take attendance. It hurts our feelings
when you're not here. We'll see you back here tomorrow night.
---
In the War on Women, Hillary fought an entire platoon of sexually
abused females on behalf of Bill.
strong debate performance, Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail. Now,
he hosted a town hall meeting in New Hampshire just a few hours ago. Here are
some of the highlights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, R-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Always making speeches. I then --
because we have to make our country great again, right?
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: I love the vets. We have a lot of vets here tonight.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: In leadership, I win, like, forget it, not even a contest, so much
higher than everybody else, like two or three -- I don't know. You got all
these cameras going, they can tell you.
And we're going to do question and answer. You can make them vicious,
violent, horrible questions, even though you're sort of probably on live
television. How many cameras are lit? Yes, there's a lot of them. Every time
I speak now, it's on live television. You know why? It is a very simple
business. Ratings.
The other thing I want to just dwell on for two seconds, and we -- probably,
you've heard, but we are going to build a wall at the border. We're going to
build a wall.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: I'm going to make this wall so beautiful because when I'm gone,
they're going to probably change the name to the Trump wall. I've got to make
it beautiful. I've got to make...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Also, tonight, Donald Trump was center stage at the second GOP
debate. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: What I am far and away greater than an entertainer is a businessman,
and that's the kind of mindset this country needs to bring it back. We will
do -- between that, Ukraine, all of the other problems, we won't have the
kind of problems that our country has right now with Russia and many other
nations.
And nobody ever mentions North Korea, where you have this maniac sitting
there, and he actually has nuclear weapons. And somebody better start
thinking about North Korea and perhaps a couple of other places.
The hedge fund guys won't like me as much as they like me right now. I know
them all. But they'll pay more. I know people that are making a tremendous
amount of money and paying virtually no tax, and I think it is unfair.
If I'm president, many of the things that we discussed tonight will not be
forgotten. We'll find solutions. And the world will respect us. They will
respect us like never before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Joining us now with reaction, 2016 GOP presidential candidate Donald
Trump. Mr. Trump, good to see you, sir.
TRUMP: Hi, Sean.
HANNITY: All right, you definitely get the best and funniest post- debate
tweet award when you put up today, "CNN had the highest ratings in their
history and the highest ratings ever. Will they send me flowers and a thank
you note?"
Why do I not suspect that's coming?
TRUMP: Well, they probably will be sending me something. I think they're very
thankful. But you know, these things usually have, like, a million people,
two million people. And they'll probably have 23 million, 24 million, 25
million people based on their early numbers. So we'll see. But maybe I'll
get some flowers from CNN. Who knows?
HANNITY: Were you happy with the format? It almost was to me a little bit
WWE. You said this about this person, they said this about you, and we want
you to fight. and then it went on for three hours. Happy with it, unhappy?
You think it was productive?
TRUMP: Well, the thing that made me most upset, and everybody else, too, was
the three hours because to be standing up for three hours, answering
questions in the form of a debate -- and I think the viewers probably -- you
know, frankly, I think they would have done as well as -- you know, I think
they set a record in the history of CNN. As well as they've done, they would
have done better if it was an hour show. It was too much. It was too long.
And I would imagine at a certain point, people get bore with that.
But I liked the way that, you know, certain things happened. I would say
this. It was a little bit like WWE, the great Vince McMahon, who was a
traffic guy, the way -- and every question had to do with me. It was, Mr.
Trump said this, Mr. Trump -- I think they said 46 percent of the questions
had something like that. So I thought it was a little bit unusual.
HANNITY: You know, there's a disparity. Three snap polls, Drudge poll, a
couple of other polls last night, had you at 60 percent the winner. If you
listen to the political class, the punditry class, the so-called experts,
they didn't give you the win. How do you explain that disparity?
TRUMP: Well, they've actually had, yes, three polls, "Time" magazine and
Newsmax and Drudge, which are terrific polls. Those are big. You know, it's
over a million people. And they voted for me between 60 percent and almost 70
percent. And that's out of 15 people. That's that lot of people. But they
voted for me that I won and won easily. I think second place was, like, 10. I
was at 60-something, and second place was at 10.
But if you watched the pundits, I mean, they all said I did fine, but they
didn't say I won. So the people that vote -- and maybe that's the important
ones -- but the people that vote said I won.
And you know, don't forget again, very much like Fox -- I hate to bring this
up, but I was asked probably the toughest questions because everything was
about, like, Trump said this, Trump said that. And even when the question
wasn't asked to me, they were saying, Trump said this, how would you respond.
So I think probably by far I was asked the toughest questions. But the voters
all said that I won by a lot. So we'll see. I guess in the end, it doesn't
matter.
HANNITY: You know, you -- a lot of pressure was brought to bear on you that
you signed the loyalty pledge, that if you didn't win the nomination
yourself, that you would support the nominee. It's interesting because as I
watched that all unfold, then you have some people on the stage last night
questioning your temperament with the nuclear button. Did that bother you?
And what's your -- what's your answer to them?
TRUMP: No, they want to get publicity off of me. I mean, they're dying. They
have 1 percent in the polls. Some of them are sitting senators that have 1
percent. They're very embarrassed. They're embarrassed in terms of their own
constituency back in their state.
And frankly, I understand exactly what they're doing. So they -- a couple of
them -- actually, Mike Huckabee, who's a terrific guy, said to me, I'm going
to attack you because the only way I'm going to get some publicity out of
this is to attack you. And he was kidding. We were just having fun.
But he was having a hard time getting some air time. He said, The only way
I'm going to get air time is to attack you. And we laughed, but there's a
little truth to it, I guess, although everybody that's attacked me, if you
look at Perry and if you look at everybody -- I mean, everybody so far that's
attacked me has gone down. We'll see what happens. Hopefully, that
continues.
HANNITY: And obviously, I think you were prepared for it. You had made those
remarks the day before, that you had anticipated that.
Let me show two moments with Jeb Bush, one I thought was a funny moment with
your Secret Service names, followed up facing off in a battle of words, and
get your reaction to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEB BUSH, R-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ever-ready. It's very high-energy,
Donald.
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Trump?
TRUMP: Humble.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: According to what you said on one of the talk shows, you got Hillary
Clinton to go to your wedding.
TRUMP: That's true.
BUSH: Because you gave her money.
TRUMP: That's true.
BUSH: Maybe it works for Hillary Clinton...
TRUMP: I was -- excuse me, Jeb.
BUSH: ... it doesn't work for anybody on this stage.
TRUMP: Jeb, I was a businessman. I got along with Clinton. I got along with
everybody. That was my job, to get along with people.
BUSH: But the simple fact is...
TRUMP: I didn't want to -- excuse me, one second.
BUSH: No. The simple fact is...
TRUMP: I didn't want to -- Jeb...
BUSH: ... Donald...
TRUMP: OK...
BUSH: ... you didn't not take...
TRUMP: More energy tonight. I like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, both were pretty funny moments, but there's a serious
side to this issue, and I've asked you this question before. And that is, you
fully acknowledge the system is corrupt. You also say that you took advantage
of it, you donate, they would take your calls.
What's the reason -- and that you want to change the system. You know, what
would have happened if you didn't donate? Would projects have been lost?
Would workers be fired? What would have happened?
TRUMP: Well, you wouldn't have done a lot of deals. I mean, frankly -- and
that's maybe human nature to a certain extent, Sean. You know, you donate,
and two years later, three years later, you need approvals or you need to go
get something or you need something for outside or from outside the country,
you need something from State Department, or whatever. And if you donated,
they think well of you.
And if you don't -- and I'm not just saying one thing for another. I'm just
saying years later. If you donate, they think, well -- I would say, just to
answer your question, yes, probably many things would not have happened,
which is a shame.
We need transparency in our system. We have no transparency or we don't have
proper transparency, so we need transparency. I know how to fix the system.
Nobody else does because I've been a part of the system -- for better or
worse, but I've been a part of the system as a businessman.
One of the magazines just called me a world class businessman, which in all
fairness, I am. I've been part of the system. So whether it's that or whether
it's taxes or whether it's anything else, I've been such a big part of it,
I'm the one that knows how to fix it and fix it properly so that we can
really go to greatness from where we are right now as a country.
HANNITY: All right, we're going to take a break. We'll come back. More with
Donald Trump right after this.
Also tonight, we'll check in with other GOP presidential candidates,
reactions from Senator Ted Cruz, Governor Bush, Governor Chris Christie.
That and more tonight as "Hannity" continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity," as we continue with 2016 GOP
presidential candidate -- Donald Trump is with us.
Last night, there was a battle, got a lot of press, the match-up between you
and Carly Fiorina. You said she's a beautiful woman.
Do you think there's a bit of a double standard in terms of, people make fun
of you all the time, make fun of your hair all the time. They did it on Jimmy
Fallon with Hillary Clinton last night. Is there a double standard? Do you
think maybe we're too sensitive about comments? And is that changing in
politics?
TRUMP: Well, it's not only a double standard, it's being politically correct.
And if you say something nice about somebody -- like, last night, I was very
nice to her, and you know, some people thought I was being sarcastic, and you
know, et cetera, et cetera.
But actually, if you look back at the records on Carly, she was brutal on
Barbara Boxer. She was very nasty. She was running against Barbara Boxer. She
lost in a landslide. But during the run, she was really horrible about
Barbara Boxer's looks. And she attacked her on her looks.
And also, she attacked Meg Whitman on her look. And there's a big article
about it. So I just read that. Somebody just sent it to me.
So Carly is, you know, playing the double standard. She's playing the game
herself. But she attacked Meg Whitman and she attacked Barbara Boxer, who she
ran against for the U.S. Senate in California, and probably a race she should
have won and she lost.
HANNITY: When Frank Luntz did his focus group last night, one of the lines --
and there were a couple of them that resonated very well with voters -- had
to do with you saying, Hey, we're ignoring North Korea and this maniac that
already has a nuclear weapon. And then, of course, the issue of the Iranian
deal.
I'm have something a hard time understanding why everybody on that stage
wouldn't rip up this Iranian deal because I defy anybody to tell me one thing
that we won in that deal. What would you do with both those countries?
TRUMP: Well, let me just say, first of all, the Iranian deal is a disaster.
It's one of the most incompetently drawn contracts -- forget about between
nations, it's just one of the worst drawn contracts I've ever seen.
Even the fact that we don't even get our prisoners back. I mean, they have
these four prisoners. We don't get them back, and they're great people and
there's no reason they should be there.
But so many things, including 24 days. We don't have to discuss it because
you discuss it every night. It's an incompetently drawn contract.
But I said last night, you know, we're talking about Iran. In the meantime,
you have North Korea where they actually have the nukes already made, and you
have this maniac over there threatening them every two weeks that we're going
to use them in the United States and every place else, and nobody even talks
about him. Nobody mentions him.
You other places, too, by the way, but let's not even mention that. But you
have North Korea, where every two weeks, he's proclaiming that he's going to
start sending nukes, and nobody ever even mentions it, and he actually has
the nukes. Iran doesn't.
So it's -- you know, it's a terrible situation. Look, we're run by
incompetent people, Sean. We need people of great competence.
HANNITY: That's true. Two other things that you touched on last night. I have
always argued that English is the language of success in America. That's one.
And the fact that you'd raise taxes on the hedge fund guys. And they're not
going to like you.
Are you saying that they have loopholes, that they're not paying as much as
the rest of us?
TRUMP: Well, first of all, the English -- I mean, this is a country where
you're supposed to speak English. And the only way you're going to really
assimilate -- and you said it very well -- and become successful and very
successful in this country is to speak English.
So I came out very strongly that, you know, you should be speaking English in
this country, as opposed to speaking Spanish because all of a sudden, we'll
end up in a country with two languages, and I don't want to see that and I'm
sure you don't.
As far as the hedge fund guys, I know them very well. They're giving a lot of
money to Jeb Bush. They're giving a lot of money to Hillary. They're going
to be well-taken care of if that works, if they get in, if for some reason,
one of them get in. But a lot of money -- I mean, these are people that I
know. Some are friends of mine. But they're giving a lot of money to the
different candidates.
I'm self-funding totally. I'm putting up my own money. I don't want any
money. I turning down -- I feel foolish. I'm turning down tens of millions
dollars of money that would come into my campaign, and I don't want it. I'm
self-funding.
And I don't know if I'm given credit for that. I think I am. Some people say
it's the best thing they've ever heard of. But I'm spending my own money so
that I'm working for the people. I'll do what's right for United States. I
won't be doing what's right for a lobbyist that's representing a big car
company or country or something.
HANNITY: If you're elected president, would you take a salary?
TRUMP: No, I won't. I won't do that. Actually, you and I discussed that once
before. I will take no salary whatsoever.
HANNITY: All right, Mr. Trump, thanks so much for being with us. We
appreciate your time.
TRUMP: Thank you very much.
HANNITY: Coming up next tonight right here on "Hannity"...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: You're proud of your family, just as I am.
TRUMP: Correct.
BUSH: To subject my wife into the middle of a raucous political conversation
was completely inappropriate, and I hope you apologize for that, Donald.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, he didn't apologize. Former governor Jeb Bush went after
Trump last night in the debate. He'll join us next.
Also, later tonight, you'll hear from Senator Ted Cruz, Governor Chris
Christie and much more as we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity." So during last night's GOP debate,
former Florida governor Jeb Bush -- well, he got pretty fiery as he promoted
his track record, defended his family and even took on one of his biggest
critics. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: I have a proven record of conservative leadership where I cut taxes $19
billion over eight years. We shrunk the state government workforce. He
created a climate that led the nation in job growth, 7 out of 8 years.
He wanted casino gambling in Florida.
TRUMP: I did not.
BUSH: Yes, you did.
TRUMP: Totally false.
BUSH: You wanted it, and you didn't get it because I was opposed to casino
gambling before...
TRUMP: I promise, I would have gotten it.
BUSH: ... during and after! And that's not -- I'm not going to be bought by
anybody!
TRUMP: I promise...
BUSH: You're proud of your family, just as I am.
TRUMP: Correct.
BUSH: To subject my wife into the middle of a raucous political conversation
was completely inappropriate. I hope you apologize for that, Donald.
We don't have to be the world's policeman, but we certainly have to be the
world's leader. We need to have -- make sure that the world knows that we're
serious, that we're engaged, that we're not going to pull back, that our word
matters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Joining us now with a recap of his debate performance, the man
himself, 2016 hopeful, former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Governor, good to
see you. How are you?
BUSH: I'm doing great, Sean. Hope you are, as well.
HANNITY: By all accounts, everyone thinks you did a lot better than the first
debate. How do you feel about the format, the debate, the, You said this
about him, you said that about her, and on and on. Do you like that? Or is it
productive, not productive?
BUSH: Look, it's ratings-driven, I think, and it's entertaining. And all
that's OK, but it's not a debate per se. A debate would be where you actually
can complete a sentence and have the ability to interact with people.
But it was great. I enjoyed it a lot, and it was certainly a chance for me to
lay out my record and to point out some of the differences, particularly with
Donald Trump, who's been saying things about me that aren't true. And so I
had a good time doing it.
HANNITY: Yes. What do you say -- I mean, there was a lot of back and forth
between you and Donald Trump. It seemed the media -- both of you got the most
time. He got a little more time than you did, but you two had the most time
of any of the other candidates during the debate.
What is your relationship with him like? And is it contentious? Do you -- are
the things that you don't like? You asked him to apologize, for example, last
night. He said he would not.
BUSH: Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Look, I got -- I have big problems with his lack
of interest in learning about the job of being president of the United
States. I have problems that it concerns me that he gets his foreign policy
information watching the shows.
A lot of things concern me about him, but I don't hold any animus against the
guy. I don't -- in the breaks, he seems like a nice person. His children are
good people. Everybody says that. And so I don't hold any kind of personal
problem with the guy at all.
But I do think that he needs to be challenged, like all of us, about what our
experience is to be president of the United States. This is a big, serious
job and you have to have the skills necessary to lead.
HANNITY: What is going on in your mind when you see the top two people in the
polls right now never held any political office, and in a field of 16, they
get over 50 percent of primary voters, at least in terms of the polls. We're
four-and-a-half months away. That's an eternity in politics. But what does it
tell you?
BUSH: Well, it is an eternity. And we just started to advertise, and I'm
campaigning hard and I'm confident as we move forward that I'll do fine.
But it is something that I think you have to respect. And that is that people
are deeply, deeply angry about the dysfunction in Washington. And I can tell
the story that I was a disruptor in Tallahassee. I turned the whole place
upside down and things got better because I did it.
The things that people want in Washington I did in Tallahassee -- career
civil service reform, Lobbying reform, making sure that government didn't
grow faster than people's ability to pay for it. All the things that I got to
do I could bring to Washington because I have the experience to do it. But I
got to go tell people that. That's my job. That's my responsibility.
HANNITY: Governor, I've looked at your Florida record. I've discussed a lot
of these issues with you. You governed as a very solid conservative. You
created a lot of jobs. You cut taxes -- don't remember the exact number --
you probably do -- a number of times.
BUSH: $19 billion!
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: What's that?
BUSH: Yes. Every year.
HANNITY: All right...
BUSH: $19 billion every year I cut taxes.
HANNITY: ... you went up to AAA bond rating, which is an enormous success.
You even where the first governor to institute state -- state vouchers, a
school voucher system.
And whenever your name comes up on social media, it always immediately races
to immigration and Common Core. I think you know that that's true, right?
What is your answer to those people that doubt your conservative credentials
because of these two issues?
BUSH: Listen to me talk about education, where we had the greatest gains in
learning of any state in the country by comprehensively challenging the
teachers union, the bureaucracy and creating school choice and eliminating
social promotion. Higher standards with real accountability created the
greatest learning gains.
Listen to me explain that I've never said that the federal government should
have any say in the creation of content or curriculum or standards. This
should be a state responsibility that is implemented at the local level.
Listen to me, and I think people begin to know that when they see that I've
done and see what I believe that there should be no concerns at all.
As it relates to immigration, three years ago, I wrote a book about it called
"Immigration Wars" that sets out a clear strategy to secure the border, to
deal with the problems that are real.
I get why people are angry. This administration is an administration that has
done absolutely nothing to secure the border. And he's used -- Obama's used
this as a wedge issue.
HANNITY: Yes.
BUSH: Hillary Clinton wants to use it as a wedge issue. I think we need to
get beyond that.
HANNITY: Our intelligence agencies tell us that there is zero doubt in their
minds that they believe that Syrian, Iraqi refugees will be infiltrated by
ISIS and al Qaeda. The president's bringing at least 10,000 into this
country. Bad idea?
BUSH: Its a bad idea if there's no screening. And I for one think that we
should take every Christian Iraqi and every Christian Syrian who are in a
situation right now that if they say where they are, they'll be killed.
That's the -- that's the...
HANNITY: How do we ascertain...
BUSH: ... the world that a Christian lives in the Middle East with Islamic
terrorism. We have a duty I think to help people. But the best way to solve
this problem is to lead the world in creating a third way, which is to
eliminate ISIS from the face of the earth and to remove Assad so that there
could be a stable Syria. It is a tragedy that 11 million people have been
displaced in a country of 23 million, and 250,000 probably have died under
the brutality of the Assad regime.
HANNITY: What about Kim Davis? That came up last night. You said she must
respect the rule of law. Didn't her job description change, though? In other
words, she was hired to do one job, that job description changed. She's
obviously a person of deep faith and conviction and conscience, and the woman
spent six days in jail.
And you know, there's been talk about -- you know, I can't imagine that if
somebody held a liberal position in government that they would lose their job
or be sent to jail like that.
BUSH: They have a duty to enforce the law, and the law did change. But
there's a way to have accommodations for someone that's clearly acting on her
religious conscience. It was clear when she -- this Monday morning, last
Monday morning, when she spoke, she spoke from her heart. There is a deep,
abiding faith there. This isn't made up.
And the 1st Amendment protects her right to have a conscience based on a set
of values that comes from her -- in her case, her belief that Jesus is her
savior. And I think that (INAUDIBLE) a big, tolerant country like ours, we
ought to find some accommodation.
It may require the Kentucky legislature to change the law, but it ought to be
done. This is -- this is something can be worked out in Kentucky and every
other place where it plays out.
What we shouldn't do, though, is to say you can't have religious conscience.
As Hillary Clinton has said, basically, you can have your religious views in
the church pews or at your home, but don't act on those views in the public
scare. That is a violation of the 1st Amendment of our great -- of our
Constitution.
HANNITY: Governor, thank you for being with us. And congrats on a good night
last night.
Coming up next tonight here on "Hannity"...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ, R-TEXAS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If there's anyone up here who
would be bound by this catastrophic dealt with Iran, they're giving up...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUZ: No president of the United States, Republican or Democrat, has the
authority to give away or sovereignty. And so if there is anyone up here who
would be bound by this catastrophic deal with Iran, they are giving up the
core responsibility of commander in chief.
I am only candidate on this stage who has never supported and in fact who
helped lead a fight to stop a massive amnesty plan in 2013 when Barack Obama
and Harry Reid joined the Washington Republicans in a massive amnesty plan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: That it was 2016 presidential candidate, Texas Senator Ted Cruz at
last night's GOP presidential debate. He joins us now. Senator, good to see
you, senator.
I want to get into this, because I agree with you, I think that there is a
reason that we have insurgent candidates at the top, Donald Trump, Carly
Fiorina, Ben Carson, and you. I would view you as the insider insurgent, if
you will. And that is people have had it with the Republican Party betraying
their base, breaking their word, now using the power of the purse on either
immigration or on Obamacare. And I would imagine Planned Parenthood is going
to be a huge fight, too. Why won't they fight? Why are they surrendering?
CRUZ: Sean, you're exactly right, people are fed up with Washington. And I
think this 2016 primary field reflects that.
You know, you look at Republican leadership in Congress and their first step
is always, always, always to surrender. And it's a pretty clear contrast.
Barack Obama is actually committed to his principles. I'll give him credit
for that. I disagree with his principles. I think they're dangerous and
they're wrong, but he's committed to them. So Barack Obama tells Congress if
you don't fund 100 percent of Obamacare, I, Barack Obama, will veto funding
for entire federal government. And GOP leadership caves.
Barack Obama says, if you don't fund 100 percent of my illegal executive
amnesty, I'll veto funding for the entire federal government. And GOP
leadership caves.
Barack Obama says now, if you don't fund Planned Parenthood, a private
organization, is not part of the government, but if you don't give $500
million to this private organization that is committing ongoing criminal
acts, I, Barack Obama, will veto funding for the government. And the response
from Republican leadership is they preemptively surrender. They say we will
not have a shutdown, which means they hand all decision-making authority to
Barack Obama and Harry Reid and to Nancy Pelosi.
That's why people are frustrated. And they're looking for leaders who don't
just talk about it but have a record to standing up to Washington, standing
up to both Democrats and, this is critical, to members of our own party, to
Republican leadership as well.
HANNITY: Is it another example -- I never understood the Corker- Cardin bill.
Doesn't the constitution talk about a two-thirds majority in the Senate over
treaties? Shouldn't they define it as a treaty and not let the president get
away with defining it as not being a treaty?
CRUZ: Absolutely, Sean. It made no sense. The Senate gave up our
constitutional authority to ratify this as a treaty. And right now leadership
doesn't want to win this fight. We've had a series of show votes.
But I laid out last week in a long letter to Leader McConnell and Speaker
Boehner a plan of attack to actually win to stop this Iran deal. Number one,
for Republican leaders in both chambers to conclude that the president had
not submitted the entire deal because he didn't hand over the side deals --
there are a couple of side deals dealing with inspections. And under the
terms of federal law, actually under Corker-Cardin, until the full deal is
submitted and 60 days have expired it's illegal for President Obama to lift
sanctions.
HANNITY: Then why don't they do that? Why don't they enforce the law as it's
written? It is very specifically says --
CRUZ: Yes.
HANNITY: -- any other amendments or annex indicators in this thing. Why
don't they hand over the whole deal, then the clock starts?
CRUZ: Because they don't want to win. Their sole object -- they were grinning
ear to ear because we had the votes this week, and the votes the Democrats by
and large all voted with Obama on this catastrophic Iranian deal and
Republicans voted against it. And from their view, OK, we've got a political
show vote, that's all that matters.
How about we use every constitutional power we have? And let me not right now
we're heading into a funding fight on September 30th. If Republican
leadership actually meant what we're telling the American people, that this
is the single greatest national security threat facing America, that the
Ayatollah Khomeini with a nuclear weapon could murder millions of Americans
or Israelis or Europeans, then we would use our constitutional authority to
stop it. We would pass a continuing resolution that says no funds may be used
to administer this catastrophic deal.
HANNITY: You can do it on all these things.
So I'm watching the WWE debate last night.
(LAUGHTER)
CRUZ: "You said this about, you said that about." I find myself frustrated
because I wanted to hear more from you. You did not get anywhere near the
time of the candidates. I wanted to hear more from Marco Rubio, more from
maybe Scott Walker, who got probably the least amount of time. Do you think
this is a helpful process? Would you do it differently?
CRUZ: Listen. I am encouraged by what we're seeing in the primaries across
the country. The debates themselves, the moderators are looking for clash.
HANNITY: A food fight.
CRUZ: They're looking for a food fight. They're trying to turn it into Jerry
Springer. I really was waiting to see if they would get someone to actually
take up a chair throw it.
HANNITY: I was waiting for a chair to go flying.
Here's what I want -- you are viewed as an insurgent candidate. How do you
break through to the top tier as you sit in the second tier right below in
the top four?
CRUZ: Well, we're right now national we're polling number four nationally.
I'm number three in Iowa. We're polling near the top in both New Hampshire
and South Carolina. Our focus is very much playing the long game. We're
building a grassroots team. We have united conservatives on the ground,
particularly in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, then all through the
Super Tuesday states, the so called SEC primary.
Our focus right now is on grassroots, number one, and then fundraising. One
of the incredible things -- the first debate we had on FOX News, in the
hundred hours that followed that, we raised $1.1 million as people all over
the country, they went to TedCruz.org, TedCruz.org, and they contributed. We
saw an explosion of momentum. It is my hope that that will continue.
And so our focus is on the long game because I think -- listen, after all
the fireworks and after all the fun ends, people are going to ask the
question, OK, I want an outsider, I want someone who will stand up and fight
in Washington, fight the Washington cartel. They're going to ask the next
question -- who actually has stood up and fought the Washington cartel? And I
think when it comes to record, there is a clear difference between campaign
conservatives who suddenly discover they're against Planned Parenthood when
they're running for president, and a consistent conservative who's been
standing and fighting the fight.
You know, when the gang of eight was being pushed, when Marco Rubio and a
number of others were pushing the gang of eight, I stood shoulder to shoulder
with Jeff Sessions leading the fight to defeat amnesty. And if you look at
the other folks on that stage, none of them were there as part of that fight,
leading the fight to stop amnesty. So now they say they are against it. But
when the fight was happening, when they had an opportunity to take on the
Washington cartel they didn't step up to the plate. And I think that's what
primary voters are looking for is someone they can trust, a consistent
conservative the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
HANNITY: I hope I'm wrong, but I predict on the two issues we were discussing
earlier, Planned Parenthood funding and on the conditions for the release of
funds to Iran, I don't think they're going to make it. I think they're going
to cave. And I think this is just going to fuel conservative anger,
justifiable anger, in my view.
But Senator, good to see you. Thank you so much for taking time to be with
us.
CRUZ: Thank you, Sean. God bless you.
HANNITY: Appreciate it. And coming up next right here tonight on
HANNITY.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, R-N.J.: To the 55-year-old construction worker out in
that audience tonight who doesn't have a job, who can't fund his child's
education, I've got to tell you the truth. They could care less about your
careers. They care about theirs. Let's start talking about that on the stage.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Big talk from last night's debate. We'll check in with Governor
Chris Christie in studio coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIE: While I'm as entertained as anyone about this personal back and
forth about the history of Donald and Carly's career, for the 55-year- old
construction worker out in that audience tonight who doesn't have a job, who
can't fund his child's education, I've got to tell you the truth. They could
care less about your careers. They care about theirs. Let's start talking
about that on this stage and stop playing the games.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, that was 2016 Republican presidential candidate, the
governor of the great state of New Jersey in last night's debate. Christie's
line struck a chord with viewers. Joining us now is the man himself, Governor
Chris Christie. You don't look tired. Three hours up there is a little rough.
CHRISTIE: It was a lot. It was a lot. But we're all right. We're standing.
HANNITY: I thought you had two really great moments last night. And I thought
you had a great debate overall, and that was the consensus of everything I
read this morning. One was what happened there, but also when you started the
debate, you said pan away to the crowd. Are you better off than you were
seven years ago? No, we're not.
CHRISTIE: No. I mean, listen, and what I said exactly to these folks is do
you think your children are going to have a better life than you have? And
that Sean is the sin, the biggest sin of the Obama administration. In seven
short years they've stolen people's faith and their trust in the fact that
their children will have a better life than them. And that's why I'm running
for president because I'm going to restore that.
HANNITY: I got the feeling last night that you got your mojo back, that the
Chris Christie, the brash, funny, loving -- you enjoy the spotlight.
CHRISTIE: I do.
HANNITY: You are very comfortable up there. I felt some other candidates were
not as comfortable. So I felt like you really hit your stride last night.
CHRISTIE: I felt good last night, Sean. I was on Megan's show. And she asked
me what do you need to do? I said, listen, I just need to be myself. And I
think that's sometimes easier said than done when you're in an atmosphere
with 11 people in three hours. But we did it.
HANNITY: Why do you want to steal my Social Security money? Here's my
argument, and I agree with you there was never a lockbox. Yhey stole our
money.
CUOMO: Yes.
HANNITY: OK. Why do I feel that means testing at this point -- which, by the
way, I understand the arguments. But isn't it really government stealing?
It's my money, I paid it in, and the government will take it.
CHRISTIE: Well, here's the alternative.
HANNITY: Yes.
CHRISTIE: The alternative is they're going to take the cap off the Social
Security tax and they will steal from you now. And they'll steal more from
you now.
HANNITY: So I'm going to get ripped off legally by my government.
CHRISTIE: That is exactly right. And here is the thing. I don't want to give
this government another nickel, because, you know what, if they take the cap
off the Social Security tax to fix the Social Security problem, you know
what's going to happen, they'll steal that money, too. And then they're
going to come to you 15 or 20 years from now when you and I are ready to
retire and they're going to tell us we can't have it anyway.
Let's belly up to the bar now and be honest about it. And you know what, for
guys like you and I --
HANNITY: Like you.
CHRISTIE: Please.
(LAUGHTER)
CHRISTIE: We do not want to compare W2s, buddy. But for guys like us, we've
worked hard. This country has been great to us, too. I don't want people who
have worked hard and played by the rules, that 55-year-old construction
worker I was talking about last night, to have to choose between rent and
food when he retires.
HANNITY: It's been a $5,000 median income decline since Obama has been
president.
CHRISTIE: It's outrageous. And that's why last night I was saying the things
I'm saying, Sean. You can't continue to talk about yourself. Leadership is
not about me. It's about us.
HANNITY: I think that is a good narrative. I think it's working for you. I'm
sure you're going to continue that.
Let me go to the immigration issue. You said that you think that the Trump
plan is unworkable. Here's what we're paying. We're paying billions and
billions of dollars every year, the impact on our educational system, our
health care system, our criminal justice system. And that's just the tip of
the iceberg. People don't respect our laws and sovereignty, 94 million
Americans out of the labor force, 50 million in poverty, 46 million on food
stamps. My question is, those people are now competing for limited jobs,
driving down wages. Wouldn't we, in the end, save money if we said you didn't
respect our laws, go home?
CHRISTIE: We'll save money by enforcing the law, right? So understand what
I'm saying. Donald thinks we'll get rid of all of them within two years. That
is 15,000 people a day, every day for two years. It's not going to happen.
So what I'm saying is let's enforce the laws, let's enforce the laws, Sean,
this way. Let's make e-verify happen immediately. And anybody who employs
someone who is here illegally will get double the fine, the find will be
double whatever they make off those folks. That's where you'll dry it up and
then those people will leave on their own.
But they're not going to leave -- If what we're going to do is have police
that we're going to round everybody up that way, I know this because I did
this for seven years. There are not enough police officers to do it.
HANNITY: Can we hire more?
CHRISTIE: We could hire more. We're talking about a hundred thousand or more.
HANNITY: If you do the math and how much it's costing the educational,
criminal justice, health care system. I haven't fun the numbers but I have to
imagine that in the end we save money.
CHRISTIE: You may save money over 30 years, but in the short term, it's going
to be huge. But here's the thing. We can do it an easier way. People are
here to work. Unlike what Hillary Clinton thinks, they're not here to vote.
HANNITY: Some are here to wreak havoc on our country.
CHRISTIE: And, by the way, those people should be arrested, jailed, and after
they serve their time for committing their crime --
HANNITY: We let them out so they can commit more crimes.
CHRISTIE: Of course, and that is because this president is lawless and he
allows sanctuary cities. Let me tell you, Sean, one of the first things I'll
do as president is give everybody, you've got 100 days, 100 days to start
enforcing immigration laws in your city. And if you don't, we're going to
revoke federal aid.
HANNITY: Let me ask you. You are a prolife governor in a blue state. You
defunded Planned Parenthood. Republicans have this tough moment. I want to go
back to this moment in the debate last night. They've got to decide are they
going to let the president, pass a CR and let the president veto it and
shutdown the government? Should they do that in your opinion?
CHRISTIE: They should not only do that, they should put everything on the
president's desk that he's going to veto. We should do tax reform and put it
on --
HANNITY: Why haven't they done it?
CHRISTIE: I don't know, Sean. Listen, I campaigned, as you know, in 2014 not
only for governors but for Senate candidates around this country who said if
we get a majority in the United States Senate we're going to do these things.
Now they're saying, oh, no, no, we need 60 because of the filibuster rule.
Do your job. And that is what the American people are so frustrated by. Let
the country see he's the obstructionist in chief. If we pass good Republican
tax reform and he vetoes it, there will be outrage in this country.
HANNITY: You need to do that on everything.
CHRISTIE: Of course. Let's repeal and replace Obamacare with a market based
system that we put on his desk. He wants to veto it, let him veto it.
HANNITY: You don't look tired from a guy that flew in from California.
CHRISTIE: Listen, I'm hot, baby. I'm ready. I'm rolling.
HANNITY: All right, governor, good to see you.
CHRISTIE: Thanks for having me on.
HANNITY: Appreciate it.
When we come back, we need your help, a very important "Question of the Day"
next, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." And it's time for tonight's "Question of
the Day." So who do you think won last night's debate? Just got to
Facebook.com/SeanHannity, @SeanHannity on Twitter and let us know what you
think. That is all the time we have left this evening. Don't forget, set your
DVR so you never miss an episode. We take attendance. It hurts our feelings
when you're not here. We'll see you back here tomorrow night.
---
In the War on Women, Hillary fought an entire platoon of sexually
abused females on behalf of Bill.