Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) to FOX News host Sean Hannity: "I think most Americans saw today for what it was. This was Democratic theater that was created to try to make sure that the president had as much injury as he possibly could while he's negotiating in Vietnam on probably the most important national thing we have."





SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: Without a doubt, Michael Cohen has been through a lot. And Michael Cohen pled guilty to multiple felonies. He's lost his law license. He's now facing three years in prison.



There is absolutely nothing for him to gain from today's political theater and the question is, why would Democrats -- they didn't have a political agenda -- open up Michael Cohen and his family to even greater risk? You saw all of that play out today in real-time.







Look at the House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows issuing a criminal referral over Cohen's testimony today. Great job, Democrats, you really helped out your friend. Take a look.



(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)



REP. MARK MEADOWS (R-NC): Did you have foreign contracts over the last two years?



COHEN: Foreign contracts.



MEADOWS: Contracts with foreign entities. Did you have that?



COHEN: Yes.



MEADOWS: Yes?



COHEN: Yes.



MEADOWS: Why didn't you put them on the form? Nothing to do with lobbying. It's just a criminal offense to not list all your foreign contracts. That's what it says.



COHEN: Then I'm going to take a look at it before I leave.



MEADOWS: You know, it's just one more example, Mr. Cohen, of your skirting the truth.



(END VIDEO CLIP)



HANNITY: Now, Congressman Meadows will be with us later in the show. But look at what the Democrats, because they so want to smear President Trump, think they care about Michael Cohen and his family. Now, he's facing more legal issues, more trouble for his life and his family. And that's no concern to the radical far left Democratic Party, the ones that are so compassionate, willing to smear, slander, besmirch around anybody, anyplace, anytime.



Try radical socialist Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, remember, actually implying that Congressman Mark Meadows was a racist for bringing an African-American former Trump Organization employee to the hearing to vouch for the president. An incredibly exchange also showed a lot about the chairman of this committee right now, Elijah Cummings. Take a look at this.



(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)



REP. RASHIDA TLAIB, D-MICH.: The fact that someone would actually use a prop, a black woman, in this chamber in this committee is alone racist in itself.



MEADOWS: Mr. Chairman, there's nothing more personal to me than my relationship. My nieces and nephews are people of color. Not many people know that. You know that, Mr. Chairman.



And to indicate that I asked someone who is a personal friend of the -- the Trump family who has worked for him, who knows this particular individual, that she's coming in to be a prop? It's racist to suggest that I ask her to come in here for that reason.



REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS, D-MD: Mr. Meadows, you know -- and of all the people on this committee, I've said it and gotten in trouble for it, that you're one of my best friends. I know that shocks a lot of people.



MEADOWS: And likewise, Mr. Chairman.



CUMMINGS: Yes, but you are. I would do -- I can see and feel your pain.



TLAIB: Mr. Chairman, and to my colleague, Mr. Meadows, that was not my intention. I do apologize if that's what it sounded like, but I said someone in general.



(END VIDEO CLIP)



HANNITY: yeah, she was talking about Mark Meadows and wouldn't admit it.



By the way, what incredible, I don't agree with Congressman Elijah Cummings, incredibly grace, class, what a moment for him and Mark Meadows. Now, is that, by the way, the same congresswoman that called the president a mother bleep during the rally, the same person who pals around with Linda Sarsour, a virulent anti-Semite, and actually wrote a column for Louis Farrakhan's newspaper?



She represents all that is wrong with today's modern, extreme, radical Democratic socialist party. It's their actions, their conduct, their beliefs couldn't be anymore disgraceful. It's a party consumed by hate, radical ideas. They can't even put politics aside at the water's edge, for one week and support this vitally important mission of the president abroad.



The party now embracing socialism over capitalism, a party supporting an insane Green New Deal over real life prosperity of the American people, a party voting against a bill that would protect babies born alive that survived an abortion, a party that wants to abolish ICE, even knock down the wall that protects us. We still get 90 percent of heroin in this country. They want unfettered illegal immigration, open borders.



A party that trashed your right to due process unless it impacts a member of their own party, in other words, Kavanaugh versus the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. A party that doesn't value the rule of law, Constitution, our way of life that has created wealth, happiness, prosperity for more people than any other governmental system in the history of mankind, and we have shared it with the world.



A Democratic Party, this was a national disgrace today, what we saw in Washington. Joining us now -- by the way we expect any moment, by the way, the President and Kim Jong-un will be stepping out. When they do we'll go to that. We won't take your time.



House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows is with us. Congressman, I know you as well. First of all what class did the Chairman showed there?



REP. MARK MEADOWS (R-NC).: He's a good friend and he's--



HANNITY: I thought it was a great moment for him and for civility, even when you have strong political disagreements.



MEADOWS: I totally agree, Sean. And Elijah and I have been working on the things that we can agree upon. But today he certainly came to my defense and I appreciate it. And I don't mind saying that not only is he a friend, but he was a gentleman today in the way that he came to my defense.



HANNITY: I thought it was a pretty amazing moment. All right. Now, as I've been saying, I watched this unfold and I'm thinking, wow. On the day the President -- we have a live shot up. There's a John Bolton standing by along with Sarah Sanders. And we watch this unfold while the President is here negotiating this. Let's get your reaction. And they put Michael Cohen in major legal jeopardy as evidenced by your criminal referral today.



MEADOWS: Yes, so it's not just the criminal referral that I put forth today, there's probably another criminal referral coming. Jim Jordan and I that -- he did a masterful job today and really getting to the truth, we're working on that -- our staffing is working on that tonight. Hopefully, we'll have some additional news tomorrow.



But here's the other interesting fact. A lot of people tonight are humming dingdong the witch is dead, because the witch hunt. The Russia collusion narrative, it was thrown out there over and over and over again and what happened was there was nothing there.



And so for this this unbelievable hearing today, there were a lot of opportunities, afforded this particular witness, that shouldn't have happened. He had a 30 minute opening. I don't remember any witness that we're having a 30 minute opening. It was all trying to spin a narrative to start the impeachment process.



HANNITY: You know one -- one of the -- one person that was lied about repeatedly in Hillary Clinton's bought and paid for Russian dossier was Michael Cohen and the President, they share that in common.



And to have that debunked and then look at it through the prism of it being the bulk of information for four separate FISA warrants, the warning by Bruce Ohr that is unverified, that Hillary paid for it and Steele hates Trump. And that it was used to deny the constitutional rights of an American citizen, and spy on an opposition party candidate in a presidential election year.



MEADOWS: Well you're exactly right. Senator Graham was mentioning this earlier this evening is, when you look at Prague and what was said, I mean, Michael Cohen said he'd never been to the Czech Republic and that was part of the dossier.



What we find is the more we peel back the onion, the more we realize that not only the dossier was not truth, but it was blatantly false. And so really, I think, most Americans saw today for what it was.



This was a Democrat really theater that was created to try to make sure that the President had as much injury as he possibly could while he's negotiating in Vietnam on probably the most important national thing we have.



HANNITY: If it was the Republican Party doing this to Barack Obama, what do you think the media, the Democratic reaction would be, if let's say Barack Obama was in a situation where he was negotiating such an important deal?



MEADOWS: Well, it would be a totally different standard, Sean, you know that. I think the real key for any of us as statesmen is when we have our President abroad, we shouldn't be criticizing him. We shouldn't be trying to lay out and undermine his credibility. But that's exactly what happened today and I think it's a sad day for America.



HANNITY: President -- well, politics is supposed to end at the water's edge, not today. Today was a national disgrace for them to schedule this during this time. They could have waited. They purposely did this and sad for them and the American people get to see two different competing visions for what the future the country is on a lot of these issues.



Congressman thank you for sharing your time with us today. And a great moment, I thought for two people that have political differences, both you and Congressman Cummings, and I applaud you both for that.



MEADOWS: Well, thank you, Sean. Take care. We were hoping for the best today.