Rush Limbaugh: Establishment GOP still upset Trump won

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," September 29, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: And thanks, Tucker. And welcome to "Hannity" on this busy breaking Friday news night. Tonight, part two of our exclusive interview with the leading voice of conservatism in America, the one and only Rush Limbaugh. Tonight we will ask him about the deep state, the liberal, main stream, drive-by-media as he calls them. Robert Mueller overreaching Russia investigation and so much more.

Also, the president's son Eric Trump, he will join us right here in studio. And I have a special message for all of you tonight. But first, after coming under fire from President Trump for disrespecting our flag, our national anthem and the military, the NFL finally appears they may be getting the message. We're going to cover all of this in tonight's very, very important opening monologue.

So, the President, he is refusing to back down in his standoff with the NFL over the national anthem protesters. And if last night's game is any indication, the league may finally begin to start seeing how offensive and disrespectful the actions of some players, coaches and owners really are too many fans. Now during the national anthem of the Bears-Packers game, players stood. They locked arms. Now, certainly an improvement over what we saw last weekend but a lot of fans, they are still not liking this. And President Trump, he reacted to what happened at the game earlier today. Take a watch.


DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I noticed last night or I was told, I didn't see it, but I heard everybody stood for the national anthem. That shows respect for our country, our flag and for the national anthem. So, you know, I'm very happy. I heard that. And they should stand. You have to stand. It's our national anthem. You have to stand.


HANNITY: Now, last night we also saw fans in the crowd making it clear they are not spending their hard-earn money to see players disparage the anthem, flag and the military. Now, take a look at some of the signs that fans were holding. "Protest on your own time, not on my dime." Here is another. And it simply reads "we stand." Another fan held up an American flag. I say good for them. You know what?

It's really not that hard to see what is going on here. In business, don't you have to serve all of your customers? The NFL is now making a killing during football season. Now, you include the price of tickets, parking, beer, what is it, $15 a beer? Hot dogs, jerseys for the kids. A family of four, they are spending what? Seven, 800 bucks to go to one single game? It is a big deal for them. Now people spend that kind of money because they want to have a good time.

Not necessarily see players making political statements that they likely disagree with in some cases. And when the fans are holding up signs and they're shouting at the protesters on the field and booing them and disagreeing with them, well, I only see one solution for the NFL. Listen to your customers. Serve your customers. Or you risk losing your customers. A brand new Fox News poll shows a majority of you, the American people, you agree with the President on this issue.

Fifty five percent say, it is inappropriate to kneel during our national anthem. Now the Pittsburgh Steelers apparently are finally listening to the fans. And one of their well-known players is now saying that the team will in fact stand for the anthem this Sunday. Now, this comes after every player on the team stayed in the locker room last week except for one. And that was the former army ranger Alejandro Villanueva.

Now, the Saints quarterback Drew Brees, he tweeted this, as a way to show respect to all, our Saints team will kneel in solidarity prior to the national anthem and stand together during the anthem. Okay. That's great. The team is choosing to stand. And will not disrespect the flag or the anthem. But let's unpack this for a second here. Now, the Saints game is going to be played on foreign soil this weekend.

In London. In England. Now should American sports team like you saw last weekend really be making political statements like that over the seas? When the Jaguars and Ravens played, let's see, they kneeled for the "Star Spangled Banner," the national anthem and they stood for "God Save the Queen." Now, like I have been saying, until things change with the NFL, Saturday is now my day for football. Also, while NFL players did not protest before the anthem last night, take a look at what Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after the game. Watch this.


AARON RODGERS, GREEN BAY PACKERS QUARTERBACK: It's never been about the national anthem. It's never been about the military. We have, we are all patriotic in the locker room. We love our troops. This is about something bigger than that. An invitation to show unity in the face of some divisiveness from the top in this country.


HANNITY: All right. I got a news flash for Aaron Rodgers, other players, politicians, members of the media claiming protests have nothing to do with the flag, the national anthem or the military. Okay, take a look at what Colin Kaepernick, the guy that started all of this said back in 2016. Quote, "I'm not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football. And it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people are getting literally, paid leave and getting away with murder."

So unlike the false narrative that is being spread around, Kaepernick's protest was all about the flag. But, of course, the main stream media, they are never going to tell you about that. Just like he had socks that he was wearing that portrayed police officers as pigs. Why? Because it goes against the political talking point of the left. There is also this stunning headline from the "Washington Times."

Quote, "Colin Kaepernick donated $25,000 to a group honoring a convicted cop killer." Now, the cop killer they are talking about is Joanne Chesimard, she has escaped prison and fled to Cuba after being convicted of murder back in the 1970s. Now, we checked with Kaepernick's own website and it does confirm he donated $25,000 to that group. Where is the outrage over that? And the socks? Where are the protests?

We did invite Colin Kaepernick on the show. We are told he is not doing interviews at this time. He is open airways right here. Colin, come on the program.

Also tonight, the NFL is showing stunning hypocrisy over the issue. Now, take a look at this quote from an article written by Mark Thiessen that we showed you earlier in the week. The NFL's game operations manual, their own manual says, quote, "All players must be on the sideline for the national anthem. They must stand at attention. They must face the flag. Hold helmets in their left hand and refrain from talking or face discipline. Such as, fines, suspensions, and/or forfeiture of draft choices. First offense."

So, according to that, the NFL's own rules say the players should be standing for the national anthem. And if that is the case, then the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, all he has to do is enforce his league's own rules. But it doesn't appear he is willing to do that. Goodell this week met with owners and players to talk about the controversy. But take a look at a portion of this news report.

A Giants player said that, quote, "Goodell didn't push for players to stop kneeling during the anthem." And by the way, according to ESPN, FOX Sports, other outlets, that meeting only consisted of NFL owners, players and personnel. It doesn't appear that veterans or veterans groups were there to give their side of the issue. Now the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, he reportedly said earlier this week he expects his players in the NBA to stand for the national anthem.

So, why is Roger Goodell afraid to do the same? Now, according to a legal analyst, even from liberal fake news CNN, Goodell could easily stop the protests. Look at this headline. There is no constitutional right to take a knee while you are at work. The lawyer argues, rightly so, the constitution only protects against the government. Not employers from infringing upon Freedom of Speech rights. And there is also the fact that players who kneel for the national anthem, they are being praised, of course, by the left wing media, the political left in this country.

But remember, when former NFL quarterback -- remember Tim Tebow? Remember, he was kneeling to thank God and to pray. Pretty good role model. Remember how he was mocked and ridiculed and accused of only doing it for attention? See, that is the thing. The left, they love to cite Freedom of Speech when it protects whatever issue they are peddling, whatever narrative they like, whatever their ideology is.

But when it comes to somebody like Tim Tebow and he wants to express his religious freedom, thanking God, then it's a huge issue. It shouldn't be allowed. It's a huge double standard. And by the way, we will continue to expose it.

Here now with reaction, the author of "Liberalism" or "How to Turn Good Men in Whiners, Weenies and Wimps," former NFL player Burgess Owens and former NFL player Spencer Tillman with CBS. Saturday is my game day, Spencer. Big-time! You know, we need unity in this country. And by the way, both of you are friends. I love and admire both of you. We need unity.

And if you are in Afghanistan and you want to watch an NFL game and you are fighting for the right, average player gets $2.4 million a year and you are making less than 40 grand a year. And you have to see people, you are risking your life and see people take a knee during the anthem and the flag that you are fighting under. How do you think they feel, Spencer?

SPENCER TILLMAN, FORMER NFL PLAYER: Well, listen, Sean, I believe first of all that this was really, truly not about the anthem or disrespecting the military. I have not found one sound bite of Colin Kaepernick saying that I'm not a shield for Colin Kaepernick. I am not defending him. What this was originally about, because I remember calling this game, it began in the pre-season of 2016.

It was really a protest for what Colin Kaepernick saw was injustice. The killing of several unarmed African-Americans who had difficult exchanges with the police officers. So, law enforcement being the impetus of it, he decided to at the time sit down and not kneel.

HANNITY: Do you know how many people died fighting under that flag?

TILLMAN: Well, that is fine. Listen, Sean, if we want to make that argument --

HANNITY: It's fine?

TILLMAN: We can talk, no, no, no. I'm not saying it's fine that they died.


TILLMAN: If you want to make that argument, you can say the millions of people over time in history, whether it's Jewish, African-Americans in this country who died under oppressive situation right here in this nation and of course in Europe and abroad. We can go back and cherry pick those situations but that is not what this is about. Let me tell you quickly what this is about.

In football we have a strategy and approach to solving problems. We come to the line of scrimmage of our circumstances. We identify threats, we call players to give us the best chance to succeed against those threats and then we execute the play. The problem here is we have not identified with the problem is. It's not disrespecting the flag or the anthem. It's the coopting of a message. Colin Kaepernick was protecting something that had nothing to do with the flag.

HANNITY: But you didn't answer any question. Spencer, you're not answering my question.

TILLMAN: Go ahead.

HANNITY: You are in Afghanistan, you are fighting and you may die fighting under that flag. You are watching the NFL, and they are kneeling for the national anthem while the flag is flying but they will stand for "God Save the Queen." What are you thinking if you are in Afghanistan?

TILLMAN: Sean, listen, this is going to awfully sound like I'm protecting Colin Kaepernick. I'm a card-curving, carrying conservative with the conscience. Our politics are probably far as the easiest from the west. What I'm suggesting to you right now in this moment it is not about the flag. It is about another set of circumstances and the media for the most part has coopted that and turned it into this incendiary language about something else. I really want --

HANNITY: The players did it.

TILLMAN: -- to know in your monologue, and your monologue you talk about the fans are upset with this. How many of them really know what this is truly are about or they really taking for face value what the media is telling them about?

HANNITY: They understand. Hundreds of thousands of Americans. And I'll go to Burgess, hundreds of thousands died fighting under the flag.

TILLMAN: I don't disagree with that. They are not --


HANNITY: The fans are thankful for the military and what they did and they want to honor them.

TILLMAN: And Colin Kaepernick as well. He said as much.

HANNITY: The cops depicted as pig.

TILLMAN: That is tertiary, that is minutia.

HANNITY: And he celebrates a murderous thug like --

TILLMAN: He made a tactical era that the iconography and the images that was wrong. It was stupid.

HANNITY: All right. Let's bring Burgess in to be fair. Burgess?

BURGESS OWENS, FORMER NFL PLAYER: Yes. Let's call it what it is. Colin is a Marxist. He is a pro-Cuba communist. At the end of the day, that is what it is all about. We have the ideology guys. We have to be honest about. Marxist and socialist are not the American way. At the end of the day, we should be talking about the problems with the Black community. He is one of them that we need to be talking about.

Thirty percent of the black populations, yet, 40 percent of violent crime is by the black men. And by the way, 93 percent of that is against black people. We have not talked about that. How about this? Eighty three percent of our black teen males are unemployed. And this has been for years. Seventy percent of black men forsake their marriage. These are the kind of conversations we need to have. Because it leads to hopelessness, it leads to anger.

When men are not taught to be men, they look at themselves in the mirror and they will rebel. And what we have right now is we have all these black men that now riding around in the cars thinking that because I'm black, I am going to be pulled over and not be treated right. And instead of understanding what it is to be respectful, to understand its authority and you can just as easily diffuse a situation and not being targeted.

We have a problem with our loyalty black class in this country who live the great American dream and tell other people they can't because of the racist white people against them. So, we could man up and understand what our real fight is. It's not black and white. It's elitists. It is Democratic elitists.

TILLMAN: Mr. Burgess, I will agree with you with the fact that the world poverty was a failure. You are talking about $22 trillion spent on it. And 64 with Lyndon B. Johnson, great idea, great concept but essentially poverty is only better by about two percent. I don't think that is a qualified success at all. It was a failure. And yes, that was initiated by the left. But once again, let's come full circle. I want the African- American home to be full and solid. And full of those Christian values that make us right and wrong.

But here is the problem. We have to look ourselves in the face and many of us are more Republican than we are Christian. We get wrapped up in our ideology. And I'm a conservative telling you that. Yes. I want strong homes but let's go back and get the narrative proper. Colin Kaepernick made some atrocious mistakes in his identifying what the problem was.

The pigs on the socks was asinine. It was absolutely ridiculous and it was dangerous. You can't play fast and loose with a subject that is so important in this nation. Once he got it on track, I will defy you to go back and try to find a sound bite that was consistent with the message of your Marxist --

HANNITY: What about, what about -- he supported Castro. Just Google Colin Kaepernick, Castro and he is praising a murderer and a dictator.

OWENS: Yes. Listen, this is so important, that flag represents hope for all of us. So the minute we start demonstrating against our flag, our kids lose their hope. Eight-year-old kids now sitting on their helmets while the flag is going because of men around them won't tell them to stand up and man up. Pull up your pants. Get an education.

TILLMAN: Mr. Burgess --

OWENS: Treat women right.

TILLMAN: -- what you are talking about is invivo versus invitro. You're talking about what happens in a test tube. I am talking about what happens when you get out there and the real context in my community right now. And I'm considered rich. When I go and I get stopped in an ordinate amount of times, we have got some things that we need to deal with. This issue of race is about ready to metastasize.

HANNITY: All right. Last word --


I'll invite you both back on Monday and we'll see what happens this weekend. Burgess, you get the last word.

TILLMAN: Very good.

OWENS: Yes. The problem is, is this: We have people who have Judeo Christian values that we share all through this era. We have people who don't share those values. They could care less about success, about the true answers. And that is why the black community is the mess it is today. Because of people purposely pass laws, defend those laws and watch misery and use it as a strategy. So, we have to understand what we are up against, guys. Not fair people. Not good people.

HANNITY: We'll see what happens this week and we'll invite you both back on Monday.

OWENS: I look forward to it.

HANNITY: I hope you can join us. I have great respect for both of you. Thank you both for being with us.

When we come back, part two of my exclusive interview with the one and only Rush Limbaugh. And I have a special message tonight for all of you. That's straight ahead.


ED HENRY, FOX NEWS SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry at the White House where we have breaking news tonight. President Trump has accepted the resignation of his Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. Price had been under fire for the use of private jets. Politico now reporting he used military flights for several overseas trips, costing taxpayers over $500,000. Add that on top of the private jets he used here at home.

Total travel tab since May about $1 million. Price had tried to save his job by reimbursing the government to the tune of about $50,000 to reimburse for his own seats on those jets. Not enough. The President signaling at an impromptu news conference here at the White House this afternoon there was trouble, telling reporters he would decide Price's fate by the end of Friday. He accepted the resignation. And there is a new policy now in place. All cabinet travel has to first be approved by the chief-of-staff John Kelly.

I'm Ed Henry at the White House. For more breaking news, Now back to "Hannity."

HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." So, yesterday as you know we traveled to Florida to interview the king of talk radio. One of the conservative thought leaders in the country for the last 30 years, Rush Limbaugh. And here is part two of our exclusive interview.


HANNITY: I talk to friends that I know who sit in the closed door meetings with the Senate.


HANNITY: And you have a bunch of senators in there. I'll name names. Ben Sasse, John McCain. Others, openly hostile towards the President which raises the question, I have always kind of viewed myself as a Reagan conservative. I remember you teaching people about Reagan and taxes and Kennedy and taxes and playing old clips of these things. And I remember, it worked. You just mentioned Reagan. It worked. What do they stand for if they're not going to stand for repeal, replace and this economic plan? And do you believe they really want this plan to go through or they are setting the country up for yet another failure?

LIMBAUGH: Well, intelligence is guided by experience. They've introduced it just like they did ObamaCare. Let's see how tough, how far they take this. How much they fight for it or whether they just want to try to get the credit for proposing it. Well, to answer your question, it goes back adding to election night. They didn't expect Trump to win. And they weren't prepared for Trump to win. And they are still unhappy that Trump won. And I think the real answer to your question is, Washington establishment both parties, it's a small club. It's elite.

You can't get in it because you want to get in it. They don't have a clubhouse. But Trump would never be admitted in this club no matter what he did. These guys have been running the country. Its donors, its think tanks, it is the whole Washington media, the whole establishment. Trump is an outsider. They have been managing the country, ruling the country for however many decades.

They can't afford for an outsider neophyte to come in and redo everything. Fix things in three months, fix things in a year. Show that it can be done. Show that an outsider can do it. Show that what they say can't be done, can be done. I think they are petrified and they are all united, the Republicans and Democrats, not just the Senate, in making sure that Trump, the outsider doesn't succeed with his agenda.

HANNITY: Don't they pay a price? They made this promise.

LIMBAUGH: Here is the thing. You tell me. I mean, you are closer to these people on a daily basis than I am. Who are they loyal to? The donors. The donors matter more than their voters, obviously. This ObamaCare thing, who doesn't want ObamaCare gotten rid of? The insurance companies, probably the Chamber of Commerce. Any number of usual big donors and the people that really write the legislation in Washington, K- Street. They don't want it done away with.

HANNITY: But Rush Limbaugh fans that have been dedicated to you for all these years. You're 30 years now in the radio.

LIMBAUGH: Twenty nine and counting.

HANNITY: All right. Twenty nine and counting. They're listening to this. They got everything they want. House, Senate and a president that wants to do these things.


HANNITY: I'm deflated at times. I'm deflated they couldn't get healthcare done. Seriously, after seven years you can't get this done?

LIMBAUGH: Well, look. I'm deflated, too. But I'm more angry about it. I think I understand it. Look at Alabama. The answer to this is what happened in Alabama in terms of the voters. Everybody is saying that that vote in Alabama was indication that Trump's base is leaving him. That is what they want. Everybody is trying to make sure that Trump's base leaves him. Because they can't cause it.

They have been trying to do that since before he was inaugurated. Only Trump can destroy that relationship. But they're trying. So, Trump endorses the wrong guy as far as voters are concerned. What do they do? They have the right guy, but they don't abandon Trump. They had his back in that vote. They are so invested in Trump because he is the only way what they believe can happen.

They are not going to abandon Trump. Even when he makes a mistake, they're going to have his back. All these stories Trump was livid, Trump was angry. Maybe so, but he should be very thankful that his voters are sophisticated enough to understand that they will do everything they can to help him move his agenda forward. That is what the Alabama vote was about.

HANNITY: I think more than anybody, the person in America, you define conservatism, Reagan conservatism. Now we keep hearing, well, this is nationalism, populism. I look at the President's agenda. I have some disagreements. Not many. I think he has a strong agenda of growth that will be good for the originalists on the court, securing the border. You talk about national populism vs. conservatism a lot. Do you see his agenda as conservative, national populism, is there a conflict?

LIMBAUGH: I don't think the President is ideological.


LIMBAUGH: And I've said this a number of times. When he sees Chuck Schumer, he doesn't see the guy we see. He just sees the typical New Yorker, he may be dumb and stupid but he doesn't see leftist SOB.


HANNITY: We see him that way. Yes.

LIMBAUGH: He doesn't see him that way. But that is not a criticism.


LIMBAUGH: I mean, not everybody is ideological. The best definition of populism versus conservatism is his tax plan. His tax plan is pure populism. It is put together on the belief which is a Democrat Party belief that the majority of the Americans want the rich punished. Or that the majority of the Americans want the rich not to benefit when they can. That is Democrat class envy argument.

If what I am told is true and if the President is the reason upper brackets are not going to get any relief, then it's pure populism. He is simply saying where is the majority of people that I can get the most support from? And he is making a calculation that there are far more people in middle class than there are in the one percent which is an easy calculation to make. The conservatism -- and I don't even mean pure. The conservatism philosophy across the board, no class envy.

Talk about how great America is. Talk about how this will spur economic growth, which will benefit everybody. You don't make victims out of some and demons out of other. You look at the country as one giant economic engine that you have to ignite. But if you are going to leave people out of your primary effort to cause growth, then that is populism. That is not conservatism. Individual Trump policies, immigration, he is instinctively conservatively on a lot of things. Whether he sits in his office and says I'm going to go conservative on this. I don't think that happens. He has instincts, his heart, 95 percent right there.

HANNITY: I agree. So really, if you go from seven brackets to three and simplify the tax code. Fifteen, 20 percent corporate rate. Repatriation. I love his energy plan. Energy independence.


HANNITY: That is going to create a lot of jobs in my opinion. And so, the real missing ingredient is he bought in to well we can't, we have to still tax the rich more. They have got enough. That is the missing part of say, the Reagan formula.

LIMBAUGH: Right. But seen, that is a liberal argument. They've got enough. Whose business is it to decide who has enough? When especially you are going to say, we have to find a way to pay for this? Who is "we"? Government? Why can't government do with a dollar less next year? When they demand more from us, we can't say no, we can't afford it. Out of here. They demand it. They take it. They have a giant collection agency.

They never do it -- Sean, however many years that you and I have been doing this. The budget has never gotten smaller. The deficit over time has gone up and down but the national debt still growing. It doesn't matter which party is in power. Five hundred thirty five people with however many people in the bureaucracy are ruing this country. Not us. We are doing our best. We are doing everything we can. We elect the people we think based on what they say to us are honest and agree with us. But at the end of the day, all of this rhetoric about reducing the deficit and reducing the national debt, making the government smaller and more efficient, it never happens.


HANNITY: And when we come back, a lot more with Rush Limbaugh. We will talk about the deep state. And later Eric Trump is here tonight this Friday, breaking news night.


HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." here is the final part of our exclusive interview with Rush Limbaugh.


HANNITY: You are a student of history, a student of politics. You live, eat and breathe this. Have you ever seen deep state leaks, about one a day? The Democrats hate the president. The Republicans are weak, many of them as you point out, and I think they want him to fail. You have a never Trumper crowd. And then the media. All aligned against him. Ever seen it this bad?

LIMBAUGH: Never. Never have. People say that Nixon was the object of hatred and derision and he was. But I have never seen -- Trump is really exposing the people that do run or think they run this country. They are scared to death. They are angry. They feel betrayed by the election. And what they are demonstrating is, they are perfectly willing, perfectly willing to get rid of Trump any way they can and overturn the results of the election simply because they don't like it. The way the Mueller investigation is, it's a prelude to finding crime or misdemeanor that might be impeachable or creating a process run. Funny about the Mueller investigation, but I hear they can't find a crime. There wasn't a crime to start with as there should have been. What they are finding is crimes on the Democrat side. Trying to sweep aside. Hillary and the rigged primary against crazy Bernie. Never forget, folks, Trump runs the Department of Justice right now. So nothing is over until Trump does something with it. So chin up about that.

HANNITY: I never seen -- look at the powerful tools of intelligence which we need to keep the country safe. You have surveillance, unmasking, you don't have minimization. Look at the case of General Flynn leaking intelligence, violation of the espionage act. A leak a day, the president has.


HANNITY: I have never seen that in my life.

LIMBAUGH: No but what happens, everything has been politicized. Intelligence, politicized. No matter what they want to tell us. There is not a thing that the left doesn't try to take control over influence that does not become politicized. When that happens it becomes corrupted. Liberalism corrupts. Intelligence community look at what they are doing. They are actually making things up, like the Trump dossier. Whatever they can do to force the president out of office or kindle support among his voters and supporters and I think it's corruption on display. Most of it is coming from big government liberal types. But beyond that, it also, the establishment itself, I know that is a word that is thrown around. But it is the people that run the country. You don't know them. We don't know the leader is. Elected members are part of it. But they are not the power base. Elected people are told what to do. They are given the money and the donations and so forth. All this is being exposed.

HANNITY: You said about the President, a speech at the U.N. never before has anybody ever spoken this way to the U.N. It has never happened by an American President. You have North Korea, I think a real threat. This guy is nuts. You have Iran. The Iranian deal will probably be there in five or ten years. The same issues of a radical armed with nuclear weapons and ICBM's. Peace through strength. You believe it. I believe it. How do you deal with foreign policy?

LIMBAUGH: I think the foreign policy like everything, most everything else he is doing, I like it because it's unique. It's different. It's commonsensical. I laughed myself silly. I saw a news story that a little potbelly Dictator Kim Jong-un is so confused by what Trump is saying that he is calling Americans in Washington to help them understand. What is Trump saying? You keep it up, and you are not going to exist. You keep it up, and you are going to regret it. He calls, "what does he mean?" the people he is calling don't know. Trump is a foreign object to these people. Politics in one way so phony, it's the art of not saying what you really mean. Trump comes along, says what he means and then doubles down on it. That is why people around the country are cheering and standing up. He talks the way they do. Not in diplo-speak or political speak.

He gets in, gets it and gets out. All of that is intimidating. All of it. It upsets the natural order of things the way politics is talked about. Foreign policy, especially. I love it when I think about all these people state department, Trump says to the North Korean guy, you keep it up and you don't exist. This is the way people talk to each other. The guy apparently has gotten the message if he is calling here trying to figure out what Trump means. That means he has got the message. Does he really mean -- yes, he does.

HANNITY: I think he does. I work in the media. I honestly feel at least on cable TV I'm an island unto myself right now. Me and some of my colleagues at Fox. Radio, you are more popular than ever. With all the memes and devices for people to listen to now. You watch media, you have turned over to CNN. You have turned over to MSNBC. The president has taken them on. I watch it and, Rush, they never talk about the forgotten men and women and the people in poverty on food stamps that need jobs. What the election what about. It's Russia, Russia, Russia, Conspiracy, outright lies, calling the president a lie and if you said on your radio show half of what is said daily about then President Obama, the whole left wing in the country would have tried to fire you.

LIMBAUGH: Right. It would have been front page above the fold for a week.

HANNITY: Week? Years.

LIMBAUGH: Good point. The media isn't media. You think of media, they have people out there looking at things where you are not. They tell you what happened. That is the news. They don't do the news. There is no news. There is the advancement of the Democrat Party agenda. Which is get rid of Trump. They are totally devoted to it. The media has been corrupt. By liberalism. Sean, I don't watch CNN, MSNBC. I used to for show prep. I have banned all content from MSNBC on my show. Why promote that garbage? It just makes me mad. I don't watch it. My life is actually mood wise, attitude wise, huge increase for the better by turning off left wing so- called news at night. I decided to pay people.

HANNITY: I'm on at 9:00 now. I hope you are watching.

LIMBAUGH: I turn on Fox. That is the point. They are not news. They are media. Agents of not just the Democrat Party. I think the media is the force and the power of the left. The Democrat Party is the arm of it now. The media is running the agenda and promoting it.

HANNITY: My last question. You are going to hate this question. So I'm giving you the heads up. You are not going to like this question. Your TV show was big hit. When you come on TV, people want to hear from you. You have the highest rated nationally syndicated radio show in the country. Huge audiences with people listen all sorts of ways. I think people would like to see you on TV. Maybe an hour a week. Would you ever -- I told you, you would hate it.

LIMBAUGH: There is something going on. Everybody is telling me. I had a couple of callers this week. Did they call you and you tell them to call me?

HANNITY: No. I'm here as an emissary for Fox.

LIMBAUGH: You need to be on TV.

HANNITY: One hour a week. One hour a week. Maybe two.

LIMBAUGH: I will give you the short answer. I'm totally satisfied with radio. I'm so blessed. Every day I pinch myself over the great things the American people made possible for me by being in the audience. My TV show was collaborative. I don't collaborate. I don't know how you do your radio show. I never have one meeting. I don't tell anybody what I am going to say beforehand. Television you have three hours of a meeting for a 22-minute show. You put it in order. Floor managers.

HANNITY: We changed. I don't have meetings. I have one phone call, the last 20 minutes. That is it.

LIMBAUGH: What happens in that phone call? You tell them what you are going to do?

HANNITY: 100 percent.

LIMBAUGH: Or do they tell you what they want you to do?

HANNITY: With all due respect to the producers I tell them where I'm going.

LIMBAUGH: Do you have to stick with it?

HANNITY: No. We change it up in the last second.

LIMBAUGH: You got improvability?

HANNITY: Absolutely. Is that a sign of hope? I told you, you wouldn't like the question. I do know, I think people would love it.

LIMBAUGH: You flatter me. You do. I appreciate that very much. I really do.

HANNITY: I know you don't do a lot of interviews. Thank you for being on. I love your success. The country learned a lot from you over the years. And as a radio guy you paved the path. I have not had as many slings and arrows because you paved a pretty wide path. You got to take all of those, early on. I remember when you went out there, I remember the Pat Sajek fill-in. You got hit hard. You never stopped and you kept pushing through. It has made it easier for guys like me.

LIMBAUGH: Thank you very much. It's grown, it's amazing how it's grown. That is why we are winning. Everywhere except in Washington. We are winning. The Democrat can't win an election.

HANNITY: I know.

LIMBAUGH: They are losing election, they have lost over a thousand seats. This is so frustrating. We have an opportunity we will never have.

HANNITY: Three months. All it would take.

LIMBAUGH: Three months, pass the agenda.

HANNITY: McConnell is the worst, Rush. He can't -- how do you not get 50 votes on healthcare after seven and a half years?

LIMBAUGH: You have to find out who actually influences him that doesn't want them.


HANNITY: Eric Trump is up next. Straight ahead.



TRUMP: I noticed last night, or I was told, I didn't see it but I heard everybody stood for the national anthem. That shows respect for our country, our flag and for the national anthem. So, you know I'm very happy. I heard that. And they should stand. You have to stand. It's our national anthem. You have to stand.


HANNITY: That was the President earlier today praising the players and the fans who stood during last night's game that was in Green Bay. Joining us now from the Trump organization, the son of the President. Eric Trump. Good to see you.

First interview since the baby.


HANNITY: Are you tired? Late nights.

E. TRUMP: Late nights. Yeah. Momma is feeling some late nights but doing great.

HANNITY: Good for you. I thought this was important for the country. I don't know what is going to happen this weekend. I know fans are still mad even at the locking of arms, because they think it is still a type of protest. We are not going to take a stand here and decide as a country there are certain things that will unify us. Our anthem, our flag and remembrance of all those that fought and died fighting for the flag, under that flag. Thoughts?

E. TRUMP: I don't mind locking the arms at all. I mind kneeling. My father minds kneeling. You know, it's one thing I said about my father. He will fight for this country. This is another great example of him fighting for his country. Not just fighting for taxes or better healthcare or fighting for best military. He is fighting for something that means a tremendous amount to the nation, to the people of the nation. That is the American flag. That is patriotism. There is plenty of time for protest, right? But just keep that one minute time it takes to sing the national anthem, keep it sacred. There is another 23 hours and 59 minutes in a day. Keep that minute sacred and it is really great to see many things coming at us.

HANNITY: So many different ways, it's a win and I think it was also a defying moment. Other ways great debate for the country to have. And I think the missing ingredient for this was the number of men that fought under that flag. And what it meant to them. And how much they have given to all of us. We'll see what happens this weekend. I would hope this is the end of it.

E. TRUMP: You know what? The American flag stands for everything that is great about this country. Every country has atrocities and has little problems but America. We are so fortunate as people and I have traveled all around the world as you have. You have seen where countries have got it wrong. Shoot, turn on the TV and look what is happening in North Korea and look at so many countries where people are starving.

HANNITY: Starving. Oppressed.

E. TRUMP: We certainly have problems in this country but we are so blessed on a relative basis. You know, we should stand and we should celebrate that. When that is over we can debate our differences. That is healthy. I'm proud of him taking a stand and proud of him fighting for that flag.

HANNITY: I don't think your father is ever going to be managed in the sense that he is ever going to make decisions based on anything other than what his heart and gut tells him. I think that is a missing ingredient where people don't know about your father.

E. TRUMP: Because he is not a politician. He is not a politician. I mean, every time you see a politician out there, they choose every single word perfectly. They study these little catch phrases that can apply to any person individually and never gets -- my father goes out there and he speaks from the heart. That is why he was ultimately elected. People are sick and tired of the sound bites. People are sick and tired of political correctness. And quite frankly people, you know that is why government never got anything done.

HANNITY: I want to play video of an officer, Indianapolis officer, a police officer. He was on a stretcher. He was in the motorcade of the President when they were leaving. Before the President, he heard about the accident. Before he goes wheels up, he made it a point of talking to this man.

E. TRUMP: He is truly one of the most charismatic, passionate people you will see. The media will not paint him that way but that is the man I know. I tweeted that because I thought it was beautiful. You saw the officer and he is lying in his back and he has the neck brace and he has a phone, someone holding a phone to his ear and my father is thanking him for his service and telling him to recover quickly, heal up quickly. It's the father I know, the man I know him to be. He has a tremendously big heart.

HANNITY: The Indianapolis metro police station sent out a tweet. Thank you, @Potus, wheels up to speak to injured Turner.

E. TRUMP: He never walked by a police officer in -- even prior to his being in government that he didn't say thank you. My father is deeply patriotic. He cares about law enforcement. You see it on the campaign trail and you saw it yesterday when he did that.

HANNITY: I'm watching Melania. She is on her way to help people in Texas after hurricane Harvey. Walks out of the White House. The media is so shallow, they are fixated on her shoes. Melania donates Dr. Seuss books, which I assume you will probably be reading to Luke when he is a little bit older. Maybe sooner. You have this librarian write, such a nasty note to Melania. I don't remember, your sister has been a target of this. Kellyanne is a target of this.

E. TRUMP: Everybody.

HANNITY: Everybody that is close to the President is targeted but Melania now in particular seems to be singled out.

E. TRUMP: She is amazing.

HAYES: Listen, I met her and interviewed her. She is amazing.

E. TRUMP: Strong. She is smart. She cares. Unbelievable force in this. When would a simple thank you be enough and go a long way? I read that letter and I thought it was smug. I thought it was arrogant. Here is the first lady of the U.S. My father's platform is education. He thinks it's a total embarrassment as a country we are rated number 30th in the world in terms of education.

HANNITY: Number one in spending money per pupil.

E. TRUMP: No question about it. He is hell-bent on fixing that problem.
Believe me. It's one of the first points he made every campaign speech. He talks about it all the time. So Melania goes out to promote national read a book day. Something beautiful. Something innocent. They donate Dr. Seuss books to schools in every state. She gets criticized by a librarian. That is the divisiveness of the world we live in. How about a simple thank you. Thank you for the books. Even if they couldn't utilize them we have people who are less fortunate and we will make sure they end up in wonderful hands. Thank you for taking the initiative. Because education of the youth is really important. This is a librarian.

HANNITY: Green eggs and ham.

E. TRUMP: And it has to be smug, nasty response.

HANNITY: It is unfortunate.

E. TRUMP: A shame. She is an amazing woman.

HANNITY: So congratulations.

E. TRUMP: Thank you.

HANNITY: Maybe they can give copies of the books to you and Laura. So you guys can read them.

E. TRUMP: We'll need them.

HANNITY: Congratulations on the baby. Awesome news for both of you.

E. TRUMP: Thank you.

HANNITY: We have more "Hannity" right after this break.


HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity." before we go I want to just take a minute and thank all of you, our very loyal viewers for tuning in. You made us number 1 in all of cable, our first week back at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. I want to tell you, there were people in the establishment destroy Trump media they were hoping and praying we would fail. You made it possible. Just wanted to say thank you very much. Now, every night our promise to you is this. We will be fair, we will be balanced. We are not the establishment destroy-Trump-media, and we'll bring you the stories that they will never tell you about. We have a great week next week, a couple of big surprises. On Monday we will be join by the great one, Mark Levine will join us. Kyle will be with us. We'll be checking in with NFL fans all across the country at games this weekend, and one really big surprise. I hope you'll join us next week. We'll always be fair and balanced. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here on Monday. Dana Perino is next, straight ahead.
