Pence sounds off on Biden Afghanistan withdrawal: 'it never had to happen'
Former vice president of the United States joins 'Hannity' for an exclusive interview with Fox News
This is a rush transcript of "Hannity" on October 4, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: All right. Welcome to HANNITY. Busy news night.
Day 51, our fellow Americans, that's right, abandoned. Thousands of Americans green card holders eligible to be in this country, abandoned. Afghan allies, tens of thousands of them, abandoned. Their families abandoned behind enemy lines, thanks to Joe Biden.
And tonight, it is more clear than ever, Joe Biden, his radical socialist friends, are completely, totally incompetent and clueless and have no desire to help bail out our fellow Americans. They caused this. This was entirely preventable and they're not lifting a finger to help Americans in need.
Everything they do causes an unmitigated disaster. Look at the record -- Afghanistan, the border, COVID-19. Labor Day last year versus this year, 300 percent increase.
Look at the economy. Look at inflation. Look at eliminating energy independence that we had achieved under the Trump administration for the first time in 75 years. And now, we're all paying about a buck 50 more a gallon, and Joe's begging OPEC to produce more energy.
By the way, Joe, you could ask Texas and Oklahoma and North Dakota and Alaska. They can increase their production. And guess what? We can be energy independent again.
You can secure the border, finish the wall. Keep the "Remain in Mexico" policy. That problem will be solved too. And, by the way, you should go back and get our fellow Americans in Afghanistan.
Biden's approval rating is at an all-time low, and this year, at sporting events all across the country -- Jimmy Kimmel, pay attention -- guess what? They've been chanting the following, "F Joe Biden" en masse. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHANTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: The Biden administration is a train wreck. Democrats are in a civil war, and we, you the American people, have no reason to be happy over any of this.
And over the weekend, more chants. Look at Talladega Speedway over the weekend. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is such an unbelievable moment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brandon, you also told me you can hear the chants from the crowd. Let's go, Brandon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: It's happening everywhere spontaneously. The media mob, they're doing everything possible to protect Joe Biden. First, it was the candidate protection program. Now, it's the presidential protection program. A task, by the way, that's growing more impossible by the hour.
Now, another crisis for Joe Biden. His insane spending bills, socialism bills, they are now stuck in limbo. They cannot be passed at the moment, doesn't seem like any time in the near future. Majorities in the House, the Senate, Democrats are unable to pass their own trillion dollar infrastructure bill, as well as their radical new green deal socialist bill, $3.5 trillion, their Build Back Better proposal that raises taxes on all of us, in spite of their lying.
The holdup, of course, we have a civil war standoff between liberal Democrats and then the more socialists, bordering on statist communist Democrats. On Friday, what many are calling a weird hollow gesture, Joe Biden did nothing. He just limped over to the Capitol and encouraged his fellow Democrats to get along and to play nice.
But here's the interesting part, according to a political reporter, Joe actually attempted -- he was willing to take questions from other congressmen and senators in the press, his staff again -- oh, I'm going to get in trouble. No, they get mad at me. They're going to yell at me if I take a question. I'm not allowed.
Joe, you're the president. It's almost as if Joe Biden isn't in charge, isn't it? In other words, his staff knows he's a cognitive mess. Now, we do know for a fact that radical socialists, they're ruling the Democratic Party with an iron fist. And per usual, they are definitely not playing nice.
This weekend, look at this in Arizona. One unhinged group of activists, including several illegal immigrants stalking Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema. They chased her into a bathroom stall and stayed outside the stall and kept filming. Wow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PROTESTER: We need a Build Back Better plan right now.
PROTESTER: We're not going to deliver. We need solutions. The Build Back Better plan has the solutions that we need.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: She's going to stand there and film while she's going to the bathroom?
Senator Sinema, one of only two Democrats refusing to rubber stamp Biden's insane -- and it is insane. We can't afford it. These policies will fail. These are false promises. You will give up your freedom. It will result in more poverty like every socialist utopia you know in the past has done.
And, by the way, $3.5 trillion, their eco-socialist amnesty for all spending bill. And tonight, she's calling out Democratic leadership for their, quote, inexcusable, deeply disappointing actions and Senator Sinema's colleague, Joe Manchin, also refusing to sign off on this monstrosity. And the liberal Democrat from West Virginia will only commit to a mere $1.5 trillion bill.
Okay, some level of fiscal responsibility I guess. I don't think we should be spending a penny, especially after all the money we had to spend as it relates to the worst pandemic since 1917 and `18.
Even Manchin is confronted by activists on his houseboat on the Potomac. But, first, you might be wondering what does Joe Biden think about his fellow Democrats being stalked and harassed by other Democrats? You would think that maybe Joe Biden would speak out, right?
According to Joe, it's just part of a process for those that don't enjoy the secret service protection that he enjoys. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Joe Manchin had people on kayaks show up to his boat, Senator Sinema last night was chased into a restroom. Do you think that those tactics are crossing the line?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think they're appropriate tactics but it happens to everybody from -- the only people it doesn't happen to are people who have Secret Service standing around them. So, it's part of the process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Just part of the process. You won't stick up for your fellow senators? I guess then it's all part of the process, you getting "F Joe Biden" all over every stadium around the country, getting followed into a bathroom stall videotape while going to the bathroom, is that part of the process you support, Joe? Whatever happened to standing up for a woman's right to privacy? What about showing up at someone's house and shouting them down where they live? That's part of the process, Joe?
And what if someone came to your basement during your midday nap, Joe?
It's not appropriate. It's wrong. It's unethical, and you should have stuck up for both Manchin and Sinema. Mob rule is never part of the process, Joe. But that's right, you wouldn't even talk about the 524 riots in the summer of 2020. Democrats only want to talk about January 6th. They don't want to talk about the riots that killed dozens of Americans, injured thousands of cops pelted with bricks and rocks and bottles and Molotov cocktails and people -- dozens of people killed, thousands of cops injured?
Joe Biden, he's been -- what he's been his entire life. A dishonest, lifelong, swamp, sewer politician ingrained with always swamp.
Now, true to form, Joe Biden just can't stop lying about the $3.5 trillion, quote, Build Back Better bill. It's all bumper sticker and a slogan and a lie. You know, he's someone that actually is claiming and still claiming and people on his staff are claiming, that when you spend $3.5 trillion, it will cost you nothing. That's a lie.
Even "The Washington Post" accused Biden of lying, gave him a few Pinocchios for that one, referring to his lie as a dubious gimmick. That's being polite. It's a lie.
Here with reaction, former vice president of the United States, Mike Pence, is back with us.
Sir, welcome back, it's great to see you.
MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, Sean.
HANNITY: I would like to have the adults back in action and working; that would be good.
Let me -- let me start with this question. Did you ever imagine in our lifetime that we would ever see a president of the United State -- because I know you wouldn't do it, I know Donald Trump wouldn't do it, I know Mike Pompeo wouldn't do it -- abandon fellow Americans 13 days after promising that he wouldn't abandon any -- any Americans -- did you ever see that happening?
PENCE: Let me just be very clear on this point, Sean, for your viewers; the Biden administration's disastrous withdraw from Afghanistan was the greatest foreign policy debacle since the Iran hostage crisis, and it never had to happen.
The deal that our administration negotiated actually was -- was finished in February of 2020. That was just a matter of weeks after President Trump had given the order to take out Qasem Soleimani.
It was just a few months after we had eliminated the ISIS caliphate and taken down Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. And the president made it clear, and I was in the Oval office when he was speaking to Mullah Baradar that they would either keep the deal to work with the Afghan government to not harm any American personnel in Afghanistan and not be a safe harbor for terrorists, or we would hit them harder than we'd ever hit them before.
And as evidence that they took us seriously, we went 18 months without a single American casualty in Afghanistan.
But weakness arouses evil, Sean. And there's no question that the weakness evidenced by the Biden administration, I would say beginning when they were silent when thousands of rockets were rained down on our cherished ally Israel from Hamas, sent a signal into Afghanistan that we would not respond.
And you saw, as you said earlier, you saw the Taliban march into Mazar-i- Sharif and then just simply -- simply walk into Kabul. And I just -- I really want people to know that I believe with all my heart that this never had to happen.
I -- my -- I grieve for the 13 service members who were lost. Karen and I prayed and spent time with the family of Corporal Humberto Sanchez from Logan's Fort, Indiana. We -- we -- we -- it's hard for me to say it, but it just didn't have to happen, but it just -- it's an example of what weak leadership means on the world stage.
And it's such a contrast to the -- to the heavy handed leadership of this administration at home. We have -- we have a president who is weak abroad but is very content to be lecturing the American people about vaccine mandates and attempting to drive through the Congress what would be not just the largest -- largest spending bill in the history of the country, Sean, it would be the largest tax increase in the history of the country that the Joint Taxation Committee in Congress just said would raise taxes in just a matter of a few years on Americans who make over $40,000 a year.
We have got to dig in, tell the story of what they're doing, and I truly do believe that the voice of the American people can turn back this massive big government, socialist bill and -- and I'm doing my level best --
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Well, let me get to that in a minute.
(CROSSTALK)
PENCE: -- to travel the country and share the story.
HANNITY: I want to stay on one issue first, and I had this confirmed by Secretary of State Pompeo, Mark Meadows and -- and others. I don't know if you heard the calls and if you did, what you can share with us, I'd like to know -- that before any deal was ever discussed in terms of America's withdraw from Afghanistan that it was made very clear by the president, Donald Trump, that if they don't follow every period, comma, dotted I and crossed T; let me be clear, he said he would obliterate them over and over again.
It included a conditions on the ground based withdraw. It included America keeping Bagram Air Base forever, strategically important location, China. And that in fact it was said over and over again, what happened to the caliphate, Soleimani, al-Baghdadi and associates, the Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen will happen to you, do you understand? Did you hear those calls?
PENCE: I was standing across the Resolute Desk from President Trump when he's talked on the speakerphone to Mullah Baradar of the Taliban in February of 2020. And he said, look, we all want to end the violence. And - - and you know I share the conviction that the vast majority of Americans that we want -- we wanted to get our troops home but we wanted to do it with honor.
We wanted to do it in an orderly way and we wanted to leave behind the kind of conditions that would be reflective of the enormous service and sacrifice of our troops over the last 20 years.
And the president made it clear. He said, if you break this deal we're going to hit you harder than we have ever hit you before. He added -- he said, I don't like saying that, but he said I -- I just want you to know. And I could hear in Mullah Baradar's voice that he knew President Trump meant business.
And -- and then you see this administration come in. They moved the -- the date for the withdrawal beyond the spring and into the fighting season, first incomprehensibly saying on September 11th.
But I have to tell you, the idea that we abandoned Bagram Airbase in the middle of the night without telling our allies, and worst of all, that we left Americans and American allies behind was unconscionable.
And -- and I have to tell you that -- that the generals that have been testifying before the Congress, the focus on all the advice the president got, the American people know the buck stops on the president's desk. And I believe that the people of this country, in the days ahead, the weeks ahead, the elections ahead, are going to hold Joe Biden accountable for the disastrous withdrawal.
Can I say one more thing though, Sean?
HANNITY: Yes, sir.
PENCE: That -- that nothing of -- of the current commander and chief's failing in Afghanistan -- and I want to say this from my heart to every veteran who served there and the families of our fallen -- nothing of the disastrous withdraw from Afghanistan by Joe Biden will ever diminish the service and sacrifice of all of our -- our service members over the last 20 years who went to Afghanistan and defended our freedom.
They will be honored forever in the annals of the history of this country and God bless them all.
HANNITY: You know, I look at the success -- the policy success of the -- of -- of the Trump-Pence administration, I look at it. We had energy independence for the first time in 75 years. We had the lowest illegal immigration in almost 40 years.
The "stay in Mexico" policy worked, the wall building worked, eliminating catch and release. Now it's process and release. Now we're going to be -- have a 30-year record, open borders, process, release. Energy independence, lower taxes, less bureaucracy, the economy was booming, record low unemployment for every demographic group in the country, free and fair trade, NATO paying their fair share.
The world believed that the Trump administration would use force appropriately when needed and there was a genuine fear. And peace through strength worked.
As you look back on all of these issues, all of this now in nine months has disappeared. I knew it would be bad.
(CROSSTALK)
PENCE: It's extraordinary.
HANNITY: I tried to warn people.
PENCE: Right.
HANNITY: I didn't think it would be this bad, this fast.
PENCE: You took the words out of my mouth, Sean. I knew it would be bad.
We worked our hearts out in that campaign last year, but I didn't know it would be this bad. I mean, the truth is, from the very first day, the Biden administration, they have been working to unravel and undo all of the policies that resulted in a stronger, more secure, more prosperous America.
And this latest massive bill going -- that they're trying to force through to Congress is just the latest example of that. I mean, we cut taxes on working families and small businesses and created seven million good paying jobs. We -- we built 400 miles of border wall and negotiated with Mexico in the "Remain in Mexico" agreement that reduced illegal immigration by 90 percent.
Now we're in the middle of the worst border crisis in American history.
On my podcast that we just recorded today, I talked to Rodney Scott who was the chief of the Border Patrol until about five months ago and he said literally from -- from election day forward the rhetoric coming out of the Biden-Harris team was emboldening the cartels, emboldening people to begin the long and dangerous journey north through our border.
And the crisis that you see today is the result of them unraveling our policies that we're working at the border and the messages that they have been sending south of the border.
And I just -- I have to tell you, on one issue after another, I'm -- I'm absolutely convinced that the American people can see that in our administration, we were putting common sense conservative principles into practice.
Our nation, our border was more secure. Our economy more prosperous, our liberties more secure with 300 judges on our Supreme -- on our courts and three on the Supreme Court.
And now the American people can see this big government socialist agenda, writ large, open borders, higher taxes, a weak and apologetic foreign policy.
And I got to tell you, Sean, I know we got a couple of elections this fall in places like Virginia and New Jersey, and we've got some big elections next year and I think we're going to get it all back because I think --
HANNITY: I hope you're right.
PENCE: -- when people see our record, they see their record of liberalism and impotence, and I think the American people are going to take the reins, turn this country around and we're going to win back the Congress in 2022, and then we're going to win back America in 2024.
HANNITY: You know, I know a lot had been made over the disagreement you had with the president as it relates to January 6. My sources, my understanding are -- is that you two have a -- a strong relationship to this day.
What is your relationship with the president?
PENCE: Look, you can't spend almost five years in a political fox hole without somebody -- without -- without developing a strong relationship. And you know, January 6 was a tragic day in the history of our Capitol building.
But thanks to the efforts of Capitol Hill police, federal officials, the Capitol was secured. We finished our work. And the president and I sat down a few days later and talked through all of it.
I can tell you that we parted amicably at the end of the administration, and we've talked a number of times since we both left office.
But -- but I believe that our entire focus today should be on the future. I've campaigned a couple of times for Glenn Youngkin who will be a great governor in the state of Virginia. I've been traveling all across this country helping our team running for the House and the Senate, and I'll be helping governor's candidates around America.
So I know -- I know the media wants to distract from the Biden administration's failed agenda by focusing on one day in January. They want to use that one day to try and demean the -- the character and intentions of 74 million Americans who believe we could be strong again and prosperous again and supported our administration in 2016 and 2020.
But for our part, I -- I truly believe we all ought to remain completely focused on the future. That's where I'm focused, and I -- I really do believe --
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Well, I want a commission too.
(CROSSTALK)
PENCE: -- I believe the future is bright.
HANNITY: I want to commission also on the 534 riots that took place in 2020, the ones where Kamala Harris was promoting bail funds to get the rioters out that killed dozens of Americans, injured thousands of police officers pelted with bricks, rocks, bottles and Molotov cocktails.
Mr. Vice President, we hope you come on regularly. Thank you for being with us. We appreciate you being back.
Straight ahead, the far left continues attacking all who oppose the radical agenda. Newt Gingrich weighs in, how should the Republicans react? Plus, flip-flop Fauci, wow, he's at it again. Wait until you hear what he has to say about you and your personal freedom. Yeah, it doesn't seem too much in favor of it, straight ahead.
(MUSIC)
HANNITY: Now, the unhinged rage of the far left is on full display tonight as far left activists are now ramping up their harassment of Democratic senators who are refusing to surrender to the socialist spending schemes of progressives. Look at this disturbing video of left-wing immigration activists actually following Arizona Senator Kirsten Sinema into a bathroom and even filming her while she's behind the stall obviously, trying to go to the bathroom. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ACTIVIST: We need a Build Back Better plan right now.
ACTIVIST: We knocked on doors for. We need solutions. With Build Back Better plan, we have the solutions that we need. We knocked on doors for you to get you elected and just how we got you elected, we can get you out of office if you don't support what you promised us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Any outrage from the left? None from Joe Biden. Imagine if this were conservatives doing this. The media meltdown would be never ending.
And that's not all because Joe Manchin faced the ire of leftists while he was on his houseboat in D.C. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ACTIVIST: Senator, this is an investment. This is not giving out money. This is not spending. This is investing and this is building the state that we both love. That's why we're both here fighting for our people because we love West Virginia and we believe in our state. We need you to stand with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Kind of like, I don't know if that's almost heaven maybe like liberal hell. I don't know. Joe Biden, he appears to be okay with all of this behavior. He says it's just part of the process. Well, I guess it's just part of the process that people spontaneously at Talladega, football games all across the country are chanting how they feel about Joe.
Here with reaction, author of a book, it's out November 1st. It's called "Beyond Biden." This is a must read. I have my early copy, former speaker of the House, FOX News contributor Newt Gingrich is with us.
You know, I'm talking to the former vice president, you're looking at this monstrosity. I'm looking at open border amnesty, abandoning Americans in Afghanistan. I'm looking at eliminating energy independence. I'm looking at inflation. I'm looking at China and their territorial ambitions, and I'll be honest I never thought it could be this bad this quick, and I'm actually concerned because I feel our enemies are emboldened, and that there's really nothing that they won't do at this point.
NEWT GINGRICH, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, look, I think you've got with Biden, such a weak president. I'm very worried that you're going to see the Chinese communists decide to occupy Taiwan. The number of airplanes that have flown over Taiwan from China in the last four days is just astounding and it's a prelude potentially to them taking over the island, and it's because Biden looks so unbelievably weak.
I did a podcast recently with the Gallup poll expert who's spent years now in Central America. He describes and in the Biden world, you now have people who fly from Haiti to Ecuador and then come up through Colombia to the United States by the tens of thousands. You have Africans flying into Brazil to come up to the United States by the thousands.
And all of this is spreading and accelerating, you're presently going to have four or five hundred thousand people every single month. And no society can absorb and assimilate that scale of in-migration. These things are real crises and, of course, the totalitarian left which is what you're watching in that bathroom and what you're watching around Senator Manchin, they're playing with fire.
What you showed from Talladega what you showed from the football stadiums, remember, there are a lot more of us than there are of these crazed radicals and if we ever decide to respond in kind, they'll be gone.
HANNITY: All right. So the question then is we really don't have a lot of options. I've always felt that the Democratic Party, they stayed united under every condition. They don't ever break ranks.
Sinema and Manchin are getting an unbelievable amount of pressure.
So, the question is, okay, Joe -- now, Joe Manchin says I'm compromising. I went from zero to $1.5 trillion. I'm not sure what the number Kristen Sinema is if any that she would support. But the bottom line is, they need both of them it doesn't look like they're going to get them.
How does this -- what does this mean for the Democratic Party? And what does it mean for the country it's good for the country if it's stopped.
GINGRICH: Well, I -- look, I think I can't quite figure out what Manchin's doing because, on the one hand, Manchin says the bill has to include the Hyde amendment which says you cannot use taxpayer money to pay for abortion. There's nobody on the left who's going to accept that. Nobody. So I don't know if he's setting up an excuse to kill the bill or if that's just a maneuver to negotiate.
In the case of Sinema, she's shown very tough very calm very much just being her own person and frankly they can't pressure her very much. I mean, she's been elected in a state which elects mavericks, that elect Barry Goldwater, it elected John McCain. She's perfectly in that kind of a tradition.
But the big government socialists are desperate and that's what you're seeing is a desperation which I think the rest of the country is beginning to react to and that's why you're getting these chants in football stadiums and at Talladega.
The average American is fed up with being brow beaten by a bunch of crazy left-wing radicals.
HANNITY: Yeah. All right. Mr. Speaker, always great to have you. Thank you, sir.
Now, also developing tonight, flip-flop Fauci is now acting as a full- fledged card-carrying member of this new radical extreme Democratic socialist party. He's not even trying to hide it. Get this -- he's not only trying to ruin Christmas once again and suggesting --well, maybe you can't gather with your friends and family after all but he's also trying to claim that COVID isn't spreading at the southern border. Okay, that's a lie.
And, by the way, he's also coming to the defense of Gavin Newsom on vaccine mandates and things that you need to give up your freedoms and just let him make the decision for you because he's telling Americans that we need to give up our personal freedoms for the so-called greater good. Oh, if you had any doubt where Fauci stands politically, we'll dispel that doubt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: You have a responsibility to society and I think each of us, particularly in the context of a pandemic that's killing millions of people, you have got to look at it and say there comes a time when you do have to give up what you consider your individual right of making your own decision for the greater good of society. There's no doubt that that's the case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Joining us now author of "Such a Time as This", "Outnumbered" co- host, Kayleigh McEnany. It's, by the way, just in bookstores, Amazon.com. And Clay Travis, OutKick founder.
Dr. Fauci declaring that Americans should give up individual freedom for the greater good of society. Okay, what are they going to pin -- actually going to pin Clay Travis down and put the shot in him, jabbing him whether he wants it or not, or whether or not his doctor says so or not? Is that where we're headed, Clay?
CLAY TRAVIS, OUTKICK FOUNDER: Sean, first of all, you were right about Alabama kicking Ole Miss's ass. So I owe you some money on that, and hopefully the background.
HANNITY: I think it's a hundred but I know --
TRAVIS: I think I owe you 100 bucks.
HANNITY: All right. We're in. I'll double down. All right.
TRAVIS: All right. We'll pick a new one.
But I have to say that Fauci there, the Constitution matters the most in times of emergency and crisis because that's when the foundation of our country's documents matter the absolute most. And the idea that he's trying to argue to us that we can't celebrate Christmas together and now he's saying, oh, I didn't say that but you did say it on CBS. We all heard it. And this is just continuing the madness.
And I legitimately wonder, Sean and Kayleigh, how many people are listening to Fauci for any element of their life advice of this at this point who still have a functional brain. We had a normal Christmas in my house last year. I've got young kids. Their grandparents didn't want to worry about not seeing them around the Christmas tree.
And the idea that there's anybody out there listening to Fauci now about Thanksgiving or Christmas, it's pure unadulterated madness. He needs to resign. Nobody listens to him anymore. He's an embarrassment and his advice has become all a bunch of crap. It's a disgrace.
HANNITY: And he's been all over the map. Kayleigh, I got to be honest --
TRAVIS: No doubt.
HANNITY: -- moment in my life I'm glad I'm older because my kids are older. And I will tell you, many of their friends got COVID, many of them, without -- without a single exception. They all did fine. Okay, not one kid had any trouble.
I don't want any kids to get it. I don't want any kids to be asymptomatic and give it to grandma and grandpa, but again, those are the people that have been urged the most to get it anyway by their doctors. With that said your reaction of Fauci?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Sean, I walked the hallways with Dr. Fauci in the West Wing when he decided he wanted to cancel Thanksgiving and Saint Dr. Anthony Fauci didn't just mean his own Thanksgiving, he did indeed cancel his Thanksgiving, he said his daughters weren't coming up. He decided to tell America, hey, let's cancel Thanksgiving. But by the way, guys, we'll be back to normal by Christmas of 2021.
Well, here we are, two years into COVID, by Christmas of 2021, we will be two years in and he wants to cancel Christmas. Sorry, Fauci, you're the Grinch, you're not canceling Christmas.
And you're exactly right, Sean, about young children. We as a nation have decided to sacrifice young children on the altar of COVID, keeping schools closed when they were open across Europe, masking two- , three-, four-year- olds when the WHO recommends against that, the China-centric WHO.
We are sacrificing our children. What a travesty that is.
HANNITY: All right. When we come back, where do you hear this song -- you're going to want to set your DVR and you're going to want to record this about Joe Biden abandoning our fellow Americans in Afghanistan. It's John Ondrasik's Five for Fighting's "Blood on My Hands". Wait until you see our video with his song. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Now, Grammy nominated recording artist John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting now has released a new song calling out Joe Biden's failures in Afghanistan and his abandonment of our fellow Americans, their families, green card holders, thousands of them, tens of thousands of Afghan allies. It's called "Blood On My Hands".
Now with his permission, we took the liberty of putting some video to accompany this song that has now gone viral. It's all almost become an anthem around the country. Take a look.
("BLOOD ON MY HANDS" BY ONDRASIK)
HANNITY: All right. Joining me now, singer songwriter John Ondrasik, is playing by the way tomorrow night. He's been touring all over the country. He's at the Symphony Space. It's up on the upper west side in New York City, on Broadway.
We've been friends a long time and I've known you for a long time. You're really not that political this hit you hard and I and I'll be honest, John, I'm -- it's day 51. We abandon Americans they're families green card holders eligible to be here, thousands of them, tens of thousands of allies
Walk us through the process. How did you -- you don't usually do political songs, although Superman would be maybe an exception.
JOHN ONDRASIK, SINGER-SONGWRITER OF FIVE FOR FIGHTING: You know, Sean, I had no intention of writing a song. I take no joy in writing this song. But when we saw those images coming out, Afghanistan, it certainly shook all of us. And when our 13 soldiers were killed, I was very angry like so many and I went up and banged on my piano.
But it didn't take shape the song until I got a call from a friend after our troops had left, and she said I need a contact because I'm organizing evacs of AMCITs from Afghanistan. And I said, what's an AMCIT? And she said American citizen.
And I said, are you telling me that you're risking your life and your colleagues' life to go rescue Americans that we left behind? And there was silence on the line. And I couldn't believe we were living in that world.
And then finally when the president gave his extraordinary success speech, I was hoping that General Milley and General Austin would come out and give us some clarity on that because I know that they knew that was not the case. But they echoed the same what "a great airlift" line which was a narrative to distract from their failures, and that scared me.
And I wrote those Milley and Austin and Blinken lines the song wrote itself. I took no joy and put it out. I put it out because somebody in the arts had to say it.
HANNITY: You said, yeah, it's an amazing thing you're saying here. No joy writing it, no joy putting it out and, look, I mean you've had massive hits, 100 years, the riddled Superman.
When I spoke to you about this because it's now gone so viral and I said, are you aware what's happening here? And you are. You're very aware that this song is -- has almost become an anthem for our military guys. Guys that did many tours there and then you told me what the reaction is when you sing this song on stage now, which you'll be doing in New York tomorrow.
ONDRASIK: It's surreal. It's like nothing I've ever seen. At the end of my show, I asked my quartet to leave and I take a few minutes before I play the song and put it into context for everyone, that it is a moral message. It's not a political message.
The American promise matters. No man left behind matters. Accountability matters, and when I sing the song you'll hear soldiers screaming "oorah", you'll hear people crying, and then when it's over, I'll have veterans regular citizens across the political inspection -- spectrum come up to me. Some of the veterans can't even talk, Sean.
They're so ashamed that we left those behind that they fought with. Some of our military heroes are down there right now. They have drained their bank accounts. They have quit their jobs. They went down to save those that saved their lives and they're risking their lives as we speak.
The American promise is not dead. Our government has just abandoned it. But we're doing it.
HANNITY: You know, John --
ONDRASIK: Our people are doing it. So take heart.
HANNITY: Imagine our State Department, the same ones that said, oh, you might want to make your way to the airport, but we can't guarantee your safety. This was so preventable because we saw the Taliban you know moving forward in March, in April and May and June and July and the and the Afghan army collapsing as Joe Biden's praising them in July.
And you know, you watch how preventable this is when we had full control. We could have gotten every single person out of there. All our military equipment out of there and they didn't do it.
And then they take a victory lap and then they talk about turning the page. They're abandoned behind enemy lines. They're hostages to a terrorist group. That's not an America I recognize. That's not political for me either.
ONDRASIK: This is the greatest shame in America, in a generation. And if we don't admit our complicity, and we have accountability, this is going to fester in our moral soul, and it will continue to erode.
And look, the Biden administration may not have accountability for Blinken and Milley and Austin, but history will. And we're going to keep that in the face of everybody the best we can.
HANNITY: John, great to see you. Thanks for being with us.
He's at Symphony Space, by the way, in New York City tomorrow night. If you want to go see -- by the way, veterans get in free.
Straight ahead, Jimmy Kimmel wants a fight. Okay, let's go. Game on -- straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: All right. Before we go, fail, late night host Jimmy Kimmel, his ratings do suck is again -- all right, he's trying to take cheap shots. He wants to have another fight with yours truly, for accurately calling out the never-ending struggles of Joe Biden. So, Jimmy, obviously, your memory's short. You're desperate for attention. You pick a fight with Hannity, because, you know, I'm going to hit you back, and I'm going to hit you back times harder. I'm up for a fight any day.
Anyway, Biden did abandon Americans in Afghanistan, Jimmy. Are you upset about it? He created a massive self-inflicted super spread of disaster at the border, you care about health? The inflation in this country is now going through the roof. Supply chains are now are now strained throughout the country.
Biden abandoned energy independence. Now he's begging OPEC to produce more oil.
Here's your biggest problem. I'm going to give you unsolicited career advice. You're not funny anymore. Your ratings suck because of it. Maybe if you stop being so political hire better writers and every once in a while, if people are chanting "F Joe Biden", you might want to run it.
And if you want to have this fight -- okay, buckle up, because I got archives that go back your entire career and we'll have it out.
Anyway, Joe was booed all over the country again this weekend. You know if it was Trump you would run it. It's pretty fascinating, by the way, keep watching Greg Gutfeld here on the FOX News Channel, the cable channel. You know what? It's fast becoming the top rated late night show. I'm on Team Gutfeld.
I'm all in the fight if you want it. It'll be me versus you, ABC, Bob Iger and Disney, and I'll win.
But unfortunately, that's all the time we have left for this evening. The ball's in your court.
Please set your DV, never miss an episode.
In the meantime, let not your hearts be troubled. Laura Ingram's next. We'll see you back here tomorrow night.
Content and Programming Copyright 2021 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2021 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.