September 29, 2026 • 30 mins
Sean continues his tour of consequential Senate races with South Carolina Senator Darlene Graham, who discusses unexpectedly stepping into public office following the death of her brother, Lindsey Graham, and making the case for a full term. Then Secretary of State Marco Rubio joins Sean for an extensive national-security conversation covering Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Strait of Hormuz, China, Greenland, Cuba and Venezuela. 092926 HR 2.mp3
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're not taking a single race for granted. We're going
to cover Florida. We're going to cover Texas. We'll have
Governor Greg Abbott on. We've had, you know, later in
the show, we're going to have Ken Paxton on. I'm
taking nothing for granted. I'm assuming that every race that
you that every one of you have to assume that
your vote will be the deciding vote. You cannot expect
(00:21):
other people to do it for you. And you've got
to understand that this is an inflection point for the country.
And it's the most important midterm in our lifetime. You know,
it's kind of hard to understand when you have a preacher,
megachurch guy in Kansas, you know, telling people to repent
over eating meat and driving their car.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Kansas.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
And then polls showing that this race is close. I
don't think it will be in the end, but I'm
not taking it for granted either. I'm not taking Telefrico
for granted.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I'm not taking... You know, Byron.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Donalds and Ashley Moody and James Uthmeyer in my free
state of Florida for granted. I'm not taking my friend
Darlene Graham for granted, who now is running.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
For her first full term. She's got to win in
South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
You know, she's what's amazing is it's even in places
like Kansas and Florida and Texas and South Carolina. The
Democrats keep putting up all of these radical candidates. You know,
Darlene Graham is facing. This woman, Annie Andrews, there's a
picture of her on X holding up a sign that
says protect trans kids. This is in South Carolina, but
(01:34):
you can't take it for granted. And anyway, so in 2022,
South Carolina passed the Save Women's Sports Act. Governor Henry
McMaster signed on to it, one of the earlier state
laws of their kind. And anyway, so Annie Andrews protect
trans kids on X. literally, you know, does not like
(01:57):
this law and basically said that it exists to serve
South Carolina children. And anyway, said that they should have
F off last session, but instead did their bidding for them.
You know, says, hey, at Nikki Haley, the youth mental
health crisis is very real. Turning it into an irrelevant,
bigoted attack on trans kids is disgusting and Try talking
(02:21):
to one pediatrician or mental health professional before you open
your mouth again. OK, this lady claims that she is
a doctor.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I mean, pretty unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
And on top of that, she in South Carolina, where
over half the population, you know, owns a gun, is
a big gun control advocate. And her financial disclosure report
shows she received more than one hundred and eighty three
thousand over the past two years from this group.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Every town.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Which is a national gun control group. She blames guns,
not mental illness, for gun violence and shootings. Put on
X in 2023, not long ago, it's the GD mother
F guns, F-ing guns. Another time she put up, it's
the F-ing guns. She wrote, it's guns, not mental illness,
(03:12):
to blame for gun violence. The last time I checked,
a gun can't fire itself. She was with a group,
White Women for Kamala Harris. And she was part of
this 24 effort, posted a video, the problem with white women.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I have a clip of that. Let me play it
for you.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
So how do I know there's a problem with white women?
I didn't just invent this. I'm also not the only
person talking about this. But the problem is clear and
the data. Don't lie. In 2016, 47 percent of white
women voted against a white woman for president and instead
voted for Donald Trump. In 2018, 48% of us voted
(03:49):
for Republicans. In 2020, 53% of us voted for Republicans. 2022, 55%
of us voted for Republicans. So there is a problem
with white women. So what do we have to do?
We have to get outside of our social media bubbles
because we all agree that we want to send Vice
President Kamala Harris to the White House as president in November.
But if we're going to do that, we have to
(04:11):
take these videos, take the posts that resonate with us
and share them outside of our social media bubble.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I mean, for South Carolina, that's pretty radical stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
But I don't think the people in South Carolina are
fully up to speed on how extreme and radical this
woman is. You know, part of this, you know, crazy DSA,
you know, movement now that has overtaken the entire country, Florida,
South Carolina, Kansas, you know, Michigan.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Texas, you name it, it's all over the country. Alaska,
for crying out loud. All right.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Darlene Graham joins us now, the current senator from the
great state of South Carolina.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
You know, you've done a great job.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
I know that in the hardest moment of your life,
after you didn't even have a chance to mourn or
even bury at the time, your brother and the president
of our country and the governor of your state, ask
you to be the interim senator filling your brother's place.
And you rose to the occasion even during the worst
one of the worst moments in your life. And you
(05:12):
said yes, because you wanted to serve your state and
your country. I mean, I don't think a lot of
people know the moment that that actually happened for you.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yes, Sean. First of all, thank you for having me today. But,
you know, the last few months have just been an
absolute whirlwind. You know, I found out July 11th. That's
when my life completely changed unexpectedly, tragically. I lost my
precious brother, and within 24 hours, the governor had called
to ask me to fill out the rest of his term, which,
(05:42):
you know, I was honored to do. And within a week,
I'm in Washington, D.C., being sworn in. The next day,
I'm in the Oval Office meeting with President Trump. We
had a great conversation, and by the time I left
the office— You know, he had asked me to run
for a full term and I had agreed to it.
So I left out of there and I was just like,
what just happened? So my life has completely changed. And
(06:06):
then from there, you know, we planned the two beautiful
services with the help of the staff. I couldn't have
done it without them. They've been absolutely amazing. We hit
the brutal campaign trail because first we had a primary campaign.
Then we had a runoff. Now there's the general election
while learning the new role as a United States Senator,
(06:29):
which I'm up here right now representing the people of
South Carolina. And I'm absolutely loving it. I'm learning a lot,
but it has been a brutal few months. In the meantime,
I continue to grieve Lindsay. So it's definitely been hard,
but I'm enjoying parts of it for sure.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Well, I miss your brother. We spoke all the time. Um,
You know, it's funny you mentioned President Trump and I
know him so well. I've known him over 30 years.
And by far, Lindsey Graham was his closest friend in
all of Congress. That means the Senate and the House.
And they played golf all together. They had dinner all
(07:05):
the time. They talked when they weren't together. I mean,
and there's a side of your brother that I think
people didn't know about. And and I'd be up late
at night talking to him all the time. And it's
like a void. There's nights that I still want to
call him or talk to him or, you know, and
he had these grand visions. He wanted peace around the world.
(07:26):
He wanted Donald Trump to be Reagan plus. He used
to say it all the time. But I know in
my heart of hearts that he's looking down on his
little sister and he's.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Very proud of you.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
You had lost all your both your parents by the
time you were 13. And Lindsay dropped out of school
to help raise you. And you once referred to him
as not only your brother, but your mother and your father.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
I mean, that's a powerful statement.
Speaker 5 (07:52):
Yes, it is.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
And I did consider him all three things because... First
of all, I want to say that he considered you
a true friend. He absolutely did. He talked a lot
about you, Sean, and, you know, even the president. So
I know that it's not just me grieving. It's other
people grieving. The staff that have worked for him for
25 and 30 years who are like family. So many
(08:15):
people truly loved Lindsay and truly miss him. In the Senate,
I've seen his colleagues just story after story telling me
just wonderful things about him and how much they miss him.
You know, I look at it, I think he was
truly the glue that held the Senate together. But, you know,
as much as everybody misses him, I just can't even
(08:38):
put into words how much I miss him, Sean, because...
We did go through a tragedy together when we were young.
I was 11 when our mother passed away. Just a
year later, our father passed away, and Lindsay is basically,
with the help of an aunt and uncle, the one
who raised me. He was the one that, you know,
if I had some problem or was super excited about something,
(09:01):
Lindsay was my first call. I actually, on July 11th,
I was at my daughter's house and found out she
was pregnant with my second grandchild. And, you know, I
tried to call him. He was my first call. And unfortunately,
he didn't answer. And I didn't know at that time,
but it was too late. So, yeah, we were just
(09:23):
really close. And I miss him and everybody misses him.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
You know, you're right about this. I'd never go to
Washington much. I like to keep a distance from the
swamp and And we've had private conversations about your transitioning
into this life.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
And I know how proud Lindsay would be.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Of you because the work that he it meant everything
to him, what he did for a living. And I
don't think President President Trump can't talk about your brother much.
He just can't. And I understand him. I read him well.
I could see it at the National Cathedral when he spoke.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
I know what he was.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
How he compartmentalizes things, but I know how much your
brother meant to him.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
All right, quick break.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Right back more with Republican senatorial candidate, current senator in
the great state of South Carolina.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I can't believe a pediatrician. Protect trans kids.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
You know, a person, a pediatrician that advocates, you know,
puberty blockers, hormone therapy for minors.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
This is South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I mean, this extremism now is like a cancer that
is spread throughout the country. More with Darlene on the
other side. 800-941-SHAWN. Also, your calls coming up later on.
Ken Paxton will join us. He's running that race against Telefrico.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Final moment. Starling Graham is with us.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Current senator, South Carolina, up for a full term against
this radical protect trans kids candidate, anti-gun candidate, and a
person that wants puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I mean, on X, protect trans kids. This is South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Can't believe that we're even debating these topics. You know,
I'm watching, you know, what's happening in the country, states
like Kansas. and states like the Free State of Florida,
and states like Texas. And I look at polling every day,
even though I'm telling my audience not to look at it.
And then I look at this opponent of yours in
(11:34):
South Carolina, on X, protect trans kids, and biological males
should be able to play women's sports, and gun control
in the state of South Carolina, and blaming the guns,
not the people that are responsible for shooting the gun. And,
you know, this white women for Kamala Harris, the problem
(11:57):
with white women, what is going on in South Carolina?
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I don't know, Sean. Can you believe that we're talking
about South Carolina? It just blows my mind. The most
recent poll that I think came out yesterday, like you,
I tried not to look at them, but she has
me leading by only 1%. And it just blows my mind.
I hope that encourages people to really get out and
(12:22):
vote because they can't take for granted that a Republican
is going to get in there. They have to show
up on Election Day. But I don't know what is happening.
She talks out of both sides of her mouth. She
has ads where she's basically presenting herself as a moderate Republican.
She flip-flops on everything. I say she's basically transitioning right
(12:44):
before our eyes. But, yeah, she's been paid by a
gun control group, Averytown USA, almost $ 200, 000. As far as
I know, she hasn't been a true practicing pediatrician in
a few years. I think she worked part-time for some
hospital consulting up here in D.C. for a few years.
(13:05):
but all of her ads have her in the lab coat,
the stethoscope, talking about being a pediatrician, but she hasn't
been a practicing pediatrician in a while. I think MUSC
let her go because of her radical views on giving
kids hormone blockers and helping them prepare for transition surgeries.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
I mean, I'm just trying to understand.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
She said the legislation to protect women in sports was shameful.
And then she supported gender affirming care, puberty blockers, hormone
therapy for minors.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
She's flip flopping. She's deceiving the people of South Carolina.
But I think the people of South Carolina are much
smarter than that. But what I'm also worried about is
the Democrats from throughout the country are pouring in millions
of dollars to fund her campaign. I mean, she's been
sitting there for a year just raising money while we
(14:05):
had the primary and the runoff. And so our account
has been depleted. She's running ad after ad after ad
with these lies. So if the listeners want to go
to DarlingGraham.com and chip in just $ 10 or $ 20, that
would be very helpful, and I'd be very grateful.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
I mean, these races, don't take it for granted.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
All of my friends in South Carolina, I don't care
if you're a Gamecock, I don't care if you're a
Tiger fan, it doesn't matter. This does not represent South
Carolinian values.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Period. Full stop.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Anyway, DarleneGraham.com if you want to get a hold of
her campaign. We do appreciate you, Darlene. God bless you.
We're going to watch this race closely, okay?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
God bless. And I want the voters to know I'm
the only conservative running in this race, regardless of what
she says. DarleneGraham.com, please. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
All right, Darlene, we appreciate you more than you know. 800-941-SHAWN.
Very courageous.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Wants to serve her state and her country. I mean,
in the worst moment of her life, she stepped up.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Music music.
Speaker 6 (15:38):
Sean Hannity has spent a quarter of a century hosting
this show. That's longer than some careers, some marriages, and
every diet. And the weirdest thing about it, he's still
doing it.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Hannity is the voice of sense.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Happy anniversary, Sean, and keep it up.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
All right, so last night, it's amazing to me how
many people want to tell me who they think is
going to be the 2028 nominee for either the Republicans
or the Democrats. My best advice to this whole process
is let the people decide. I think it was a
good thing for Donald Trump to be among 16 seasoned politicians.
(16:20):
You know, in the end, he he really stood out
and stood above and was different. And the timing was
perfect for him. But there's a certain strength that you
acquire going through a primary election.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
And but we'll see.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
But certainly somebody at the top of everybody's list and
shows up in the polling is is Marco Rubio, national
security adviser, secretary of state. And there's so much going
on in terms of national security issues and President Xi's
visit and Iran and Cuba. And the list goes on
and on this this terror threat that we had in
Great Britain. And I had a chance to talk to
(16:55):
him about all of it. I want to run this
interview for you. We'll get your calls on the other
side to talk about that and more. Again, only 35
days till Election Day. We've got the best election coverage.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
You know, Mr.
Speaker 7 (17:06):
Secretary, you've been very articulate about the issue of Iran.
Every single person that I've interviewed that would know, and
there aren't many people that would actually know, you're one
of the people that would know. And I'd ask everyone
that did know, and they'd all give me the same
answer or a version of the same answer, and that
is that the president.
Speaker 5 (17:27):
Had no choice.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
If that is true.
Speaker 7 (17:30):
And if everybody's worried about the Strait of Hormuz, what
would the Strait of Hormuz look like? What would the
Middle East be like if Iran ever achieved their stated
goal of getting nuclear weapons?
Speaker 5 (17:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
So here's what, let me take a very basic principle here.
What Iran was trying to do is they were trying
to build up so many conventional weapons, meaning they'd have
so many drones, so many rockets, so many missiles that
nobody could possibly touch them.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
They would become immune.
Speaker 8 (17:56):
And behind that shield, behind that conventional shield of weaponry
to threaten the entire region, our forces, even Europe, they
would then.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
Break out towards a nuclear weapon. That was their goal.
Speaker 8 (18:06):
And what the president had to address is he could
not allow them to cross the line of immunity. He
could not allow them to reach a point where they
had so many missiles, so many drones, and so many
weapons that you couldn't do anything militarily about their nuclear program.
That's what they were trying to achieve. That's what the
president prevented. And he saved the world a tremendous.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
Amount of trouble.
Speaker 8 (18:25):
Now, look, the only way we would have found out
the opposite is to allow it to happen. And then
five years from now, everyone would be saying, I can't
believe they allowed Iran behind a conventional shield to build
and develop a nuclear weapons program. And now you have
North Korea in the Middle East. That's what we were
on the verge of. That's what the president has prevented.
And that's what he has consistently said from the very
beginning of this operation.
Speaker 5 (18:45):
Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.
Speaker 8 (18:48):
And that's what this whole endeavor has been about from
the very beginning. And that's what he's focused on and
continues to be focused on. If Iran had a nuclear weapon,
If Iran had a nuclear weapon, they could do whatever
they want with the Straits.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
Think about what we're doing right now.
Speaker 8 (19:01):
And I think you saw a few minutes ago you
were playing videos of Scott Besant commenting on it.
Speaker 5 (19:04):
The Straits are opened.
Speaker 8 (19:06):
There is almost as much oil flowing through the Straits
now as before this conflict, with the exception of Iranian oil,
which is not getting out. If Iran had a nuclear
weapon with which it could threaten its neighbors and the world...
No one would be able to do anything about the Straits.
They would be able to control the Straits, charge a toll,
and decide who got energy and who did not get
energy on this planet. That's what they would do if
(19:26):
they had a nuclear weapon. And worse, we are talking
about a regime that has slaughtered, slaughtered tens, maybe hundreds
of thousands of their own people throughout this so-called revolution.
Speaker 5 (19:37):
If that's what they're.
Speaker 8 (19:38):
Willing to do to their own people, Imagine what they
would do to Americans or others in the region or
Israelis or anybody if they had a nuclear weapon. They
have no regard for the lives of anyone else. And
my last point I want to make about it. oftentimes
people make the mistake of equating Iran to a country
it is a country but the problem with iran is
not the country the problem with iran is the revolution
(19:59):
and that's what governs in that country it's not the
government officials you see with the suits on that go
on meet the press and get this free pass on
american media that's not what we're talking about here who
calls the shots in iran a radical shia clerics with
an apocalyptic vision of the future they believe that it
is their religious calling to trigger about the the last
days of the world and the apocalypse i know this
(20:21):
sounds you know, to a lot of people watching it.
It sounds like something from a science, from a movie,
but it is the reality.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
It is the stated purpose of the revolution.
Speaker 8 (20:29):
People like that can never possess a nuclear weapon because
they will use it to blackmail the world and to
kill people.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
It is an unacceptable risk.
Speaker 8 (20:37):
And President Trump did what other American presidents said, but
never did, which is prevent Iran from getting one.
Speaker 7 (20:43):
Let's go back to Scott Besson's comments. He said the Iranians'
ability to raise cash and their ability, or they'll have
nothing left to trade in two weeks, while simultaneously the
foreign minister of Iran is talking about drawing up a
doomsday war scenario plan. Look, they peddle propaganda regularly, but
(21:05):
are we that close to seeing the Iranians bankrupt? We
know inflation is about 500 percent. Half the adult workforce
is out of work. and bare necessities are in very
short supply. Are they really that close to being bankrupted?
Speaker 8 (21:19):
Yeah, I mean, I think they are there now, and
they're heading there fast, doing a cataclysm. And they've never
been good economically. It's sad, by the way, because Iran
is a country with tremendous potential. Its people are incredible people,
hardworking people, smart, industrious. with an ancient history to fall
back on and have achieved many things. At one point,
Iran was one of the most prosperous countries in the
Middle East before the radical clerics took over. So it's
(21:40):
a very sad situation. Their economy now is a cataclysm.
But here's the other point people don't realize. This is
not simply about imposing economic costs on this regime. Every
dollar that Iran has, what they have done over the
last 30 years is anytime they get money, be it
under Obama sanction relief, be it under economic selling of
oil and gas or whatever, they don't use that money
(22:00):
to build hospitals. They don't use that money to build roads.
They don't use that money to improve the life of
the Iranian people. They use that money to do two things,
build weapons for themselves and export the revolution. They use
the money to fund Hezbollah. They use the money to
fund Hamas. They use the money to fund Shia militias
in Iraq.
Speaker 5 (22:17):
That's what they use.
Speaker 8 (22:18):
They use the money to sponsor terrorism and assassination plots
all over the world. And so every penny that they
get into their hands is money that they use for
purposes of these malign activities. And so when you're denying
them money through oil sales and sanctions, you're not just
punishing them. You are preventing them from getting access to
money that they will use to try and kill Americans
(22:38):
and others around the world and their own people and
build weapons and threaten the world and ultimately break out
to a nuclear weapon program.
Speaker 7 (22:45):
Let me ask you about President Xi's visit. Look, I'm
never going to trust the communist Chinese. I don't think
most Americans will trust them. Their intellectual property theft alone
is a clear and present danger. I really worry about
those people that would want us to unilaterally disarm when
it comes to artificial intelligence, for example. The communist Chinese
(23:06):
are not going to stop. But I want to ask
you this. You know, just prior to the visit, it
was announced that the president.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
I think.
Speaker 7 (23:15):
People didn't even take him seriously when he was talking
about Greenland, but he was able to secure a deal
where we can build our military bases and maintain them
in perpetuity, even if the island were ever sold off,
and simultaneously keeping out our top geopolitical foes, being China
and Russia.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
How did President Xi react to that news?
Speaker 5 (23:38):
Well, it didn't come up. We didn't discuss it in
the meetings. It didn't come up.
Speaker 8 (23:41):
But I can tell you it's an extraordinary achievement by
the president. Hasn't gotten nearly enough credit for it from
the very beginning. Going back to the first administration under
President Trump, but now he's made abundantly clear that the
issue of Greenland is not about territorial conquest. It is
about national security. Now, Greenland has always been important. It
was important during the Second World War, which is why
the United States had to secure it during the Second
(24:02):
World War to prevent the Nazi Germany from taking it
over and so forth. It's always played an important role
during the Cold War. It has more important role today
than ever before for two reasons.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
Number one is because the Arctic.
Speaker 8 (24:13):
Region has now become an area of incredible competition. Multiple countries,
including countries that are not Arctic countries that call themselves
near Arctic countries like China, are out there operating every
single day trying to dominate sea lanes, which are important
for global shipping and commerce. But the other is because
of space warfare and because of missile defense. In order
to build the sort of missile defense this country needs
(24:35):
to protect itself, Greenland is incredibly.
Speaker 5 (24:37):
Important for all of North America.
Speaker 8 (24:39):
And so the fear was, and the concern has always been,
and we've seen this play out in other parts of
the world, is that countries and potential adversaries go into
a place and they use investments. They buy a port.
They build a port. They build an airport. They build
something that has a dual use to it. It looks
like an airport. It looks like a seaport. But it's
built in a way that looks like a military base.
And they begin to access land rights and possession rights
(25:01):
in these places. And all of a sudden you wake
up one day and you realize that you have an
adversary and a competitor that's taking control of the Panama Canal.
or taking control of some other critical part of the world.
And so it's always been about national security. And what
we were able to reach is an agreement with both
the Kingdom of Norway but also Denmark that allows us
now to have the presence that we need to secure Greenland,
(25:24):
secure our national security, and it's good for them as well.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
Under this agreement, which exists now in perpetuity, never, ever, Will.
Speaker 8 (25:30):
Any adversary of the United States have the ability to
invest there without our approval and their approval? But also
we will have access to building new military facilities that
will allow us to build the sort of missile defense
shield that all of North America needs.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
It benefits North America. It benefits Europe. It benefits NATO.
Speaker 8 (25:47):
So it's an extreme and it didn't cost the American
taxpayer a single penny. An incredible achievement, and I think
our allies are happy with it as well.
Speaker 7 (25:55):
Before I go to Latin America and Cuba and Venezuela,
let me ask you this question. Would we have the
ability to get rarer minerals, for example, that apparently Greenland
might be very rich in?
Speaker 8 (26:07):
Sure, we'll do it in partnership with them. I mean,
at the end, this is an allied country, this is
an allied place. Now that this is behind us, I
think we have the opportunity to make good investments there.
We do it in partnership with them. It'll be beneficial
for them. That's not why we did it. I mean,
the key to Greenland, as I said, is its geography
is so critically important to our national security.
Speaker 5 (26:25):
That's what it's always been about.
Speaker 8 (26:27):
If there are commercial opportunities that are beneficial for us,
but also beneficial to Greenland, that's.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
Something we'll be able to explore.
Speaker 8 (26:34):
What we don't have to worry about is some adversary
taking control of that and using it for their own
benefit as opposed to the benefit of our allies and
ultimately of the United States as well.
Speaker 7 (26:43):
Is Cuba about to fall, and can you update us
on Venezuela?
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Well, the truth is Cuba's already fallen.
Speaker 8 (26:48):
It doesn't have a functional economy, and it's governed by
people who continue to preach about some revolution that has
been dead for 20 years.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
It's never worked. And that's the problem they have. The
problem that Cuba.
Speaker 8 (27:00):
Has basically right now is it is a failed state
in every sense of the word. Now, they may have
a government that's capable of jailing and killing people.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
They have a regime that's.
Speaker 8 (27:09):
Capable of and has jailed and killed people. But it's
not a functional government and it's not a functional country.
It just simply isn't. And in addition to that, it's
one that's fueled by corruption, graft and theft. You know,
the Cuban economy, there is no Cuban economy that benefits
the Cuban people. Anything that had a chance of making
money in Cuba was controlled by the Cuban military and
the Cuban Communist Party to line the pockets of a
(27:30):
handful of individuals at the expense of the entire country.
You know that since 2021, at least close to 20
percent of Cuba's population has left the country. has left
it because it's a failure, a complete failure. So we're
hopeful that Cuba will choose a different path. We're hopeful
that the people that today sort of control the arms
and the repressive regime, that there will be some people
(27:52):
in there that open their eyes to the reality of
what they're facing.
Speaker 5 (27:54):
What they're no longer going to do as long as Donald.
Speaker 8 (27:57):
Trump is president is they're no longer going to be
able to steal money and make money off the backs
of the Cuban people. And what we're not going to
allow ever under any circumstances, as long as President Trump
is president, is we're never going to allow Cuba to
become a base of operation against American interests. or pose
a threat to our national security. On that, we're abundantly clear.
As in every case, you can ask about any country
or any problem in the world, and I will tell
(28:18):
you that the preference of our president is to solve
these things diplomatically and in a way that you can
reach an agreement and get Cuba or any country on
a path to irreversible positive change that involves economic freedoms,
but also involves political freedoms. In fact, you cannot have
economic freedom in Cuba if you don't have political freedom first.
You have to have both happening at least at the
same time That will require a period of transition. Unfortunately,
(28:42):
the people that continue there to chant revolutionary slogans, too
many of them still believe that they could wait out
this administration and make no changes or do nothing. They
are wrong, and they will learn the lesson the hard
way if they don't correct.
Speaker 7 (28:54):
In the partnership with Venezuela, we have about 30 seconds.
Speaker 5 (28:57):
Well, in Venezuela, two things are happening.
Speaker 8 (28:58):
One, their economy needs to continue to recover because the
people of Venezuela have suffered so much. Understand, we're talking
about 25 or 30 years of corruption and graft. But
the other thing that has to happen and we're really
focused on is a democratic transition. They need to have
free and fair elections in that country. We're working very
hard with the 2015 National Assembly to put in place
the conditions necessary to have free and fair elections as
(29:19):
soon as possible. And then Venezuela will really be on
the upswing it deserves to be on.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
All right. Quick break. Right back.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Final moments with Marco Rubio. Then your calls coming up
final hour of the show. Also, we will be checking
in with Ken Paxton. That's coming up as we continue.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Hour roundup is next. You do not want to miss it.
Speaker 6 (29:43):
And stay tuned for the final hour free-for-all on the
Sean Hannity Show.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
All right, when we come back, we'll check in with
Ken Paxton, Senate candidate from the great state of Texas, next.
We're not taking a single race for granted. We're going
to cover Florida. We're going to cover Texas. We'll have
Governor Greg Abbott on. We've had, you know, later in
the show, we're going to have Ken Paxton on. I'm
taking nothing for granted. I'm assuming that every race that
you that every one of you have to assume that
your vote will be the deciding vote. You cannot expect
(00:21):
other people to do it for you. And you've got
to understand that this is an inflection point for the country.
And it's the most important midterm in our lifetime. You know,
it's kind of hard to understand when you have a preacher,
megachurch guy in Kansas, you know, telling people to repent
over eating meat and driving their car.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Kansas.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
And then polls showing that this race is close. I
don't think it will be in the end, but I'm
not taking it for granted either. I'm not taking Telefrico
for granted.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I'm not taking... You know, Byron.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Donalds and Ashley Moody and James Uthmeyer in my free
state of Florida for granted. I'm not taking my friend
Darlene Graham for granted, who now is running.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
For her first full term. She's got to win in
South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
You know, she's what's amazing is it's even in places
like Kansas and Florida and Texas and South Carolina. The
Democrats keep putting up all of these radical candidates. You know,
Darlene Graham is facing. This woman, Annie Andrews, there's a
picture of her on X holding up a sign that
says protect trans kids. This is in South Carolina, but
(01:34):
you can't take it for granted. And anyway, so in 2022,
South Carolina passed the Save Women's Sports Act. Governor Henry
McMaster signed on to it, one of the earlier state
laws of their kind. And anyway, so Annie Andrews protect
trans kids on X. literally, you know, does not like
(01:57):
this law and basically said that it exists to serve
South Carolina children. And anyway, said that they should have
F off last session, but instead did their bidding for them.
You know, says, hey, at Nikki Haley, the youth mental
health crisis is very real. Turning it into an irrelevant,
bigoted attack on trans kids is disgusting and Try talking
(02:21):
to one pediatrician or mental health professional before you open
your mouth again. OK, this lady claims that she is
a doctor.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I mean, pretty unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
And on top of that, she in South Carolina, where
over half the population, you know, owns a gun, is
a big gun control advocate. And her financial disclosure report
shows she received more than one hundred and eighty three
thousand over the past two years from this group.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Every town.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Which is a national gun control group. She blames guns,
not mental illness, for gun violence and shootings. Put on
X in 2023, not long ago, it's the GD mother
F guns, F-ing guns. Another time she put up, it's
the F-ing guns. She wrote, it's guns, not mental illness,
(03:12):
to blame for gun violence. The last time I checked,
a gun can't fire itself. She was with a group,
White Women for Kamala Harris. And she was part of
this 24 effort, posted a video, the problem with white women.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I have a clip of that. Let me play it
for you.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
So how do I know there's a problem with white women?
I didn't just invent this. I'm also not the only
person talking about this. But the problem is clear and
the data. Don't lie. In 2016, 47 percent of white
women voted against a white woman for president and instead
voted for Donald Trump. In 2018, 48% of us voted
(03:49):
for Republicans. In 2020, 53% of us voted for Republicans. 2022, 55%
of us voted for Republicans. So there is a problem
with white women. So what do we have to do?
We have to get outside of our social media bubbles
because we all agree that we want to send Vice
President Kamala Harris to the White House as president in November.
But if we're going to do that, we have to
(04:11):
take these videos, take the posts that resonate with us
and share them outside of our social media bubble.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I mean, for South Carolina, that's pretty radical stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
But I don't think the people in South Carolina are
fully up to speed on how extreme and radical this
woman is. You know, part of this, you know, crazy DSA,
you know, movement now that has overtaken the entire country, Florida,
South Carolina, Kansas, you know, Michigan.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Texas, you name it, it's all over the country. Alaska,
for crying out loud. All right.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Darlene Graham joins us now, the current senator from the
great state of South Carolina.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
You know, you've done a great job.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
I know that in the hardest moment of your life,
after you didn't even have a chance to mourn or
even bury at the time, your brother and the president
of our country and the governor of your state, ask
you to be the interim senator filling your brother's place.
And you rose to the occasion even during the worst
one of the worst moments in your life. And you
(05:12):
said yes, because you wanted to serve your state and
your country. I mean, I don't think a lot of
people know the moment that that actually happened for you.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yes, Sean. First of all, thank you for having me today. But,
you know, the last few months have just been an
absolute whirlwind. You know, I found out July 11th. That's
when my life completely changed unexpectedly, tragically. I lost my
precious brother, and within 24 hours, the governor had called
to ask me to fill out the rest of his term, which,
(05:42):
you know, I was honored to do. And within a week,
I'm in Washington, D.C., being sworn in. The next day,
I'm in the Oval Office meeting with President Trump. We
had a great conversation, and by the time I left
the office— You know, he had asked me to run
for a full term and I had agreed to it.
So I left out of there and I was just like,
what just happened? So my life has completely changed. And
(06:06):
then from there, you know, we planned the two beautiful
services with the help of the staff. I couldn't have
done it without them. They've been absolutely amazing. We hit
the brutal campaign trail because first we had a primary campaign.
Then we had a runoff. Now there's the general election
while learning the new role as a United States Senator,
(06:29):
which I'm up here right now representing the people of
South Carolina. And I'm absolutely loving it. I'm learning a lot,
but it has been a brutal few months. In the meantime,
I continue to grieve Lindsay. So it's definitely been hard,
but I'm enjoying parts of it for sure.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Well, I miss your brother. We spoke all the time. Um,
You know, it's funny you mentioned President Trump and I
know him so well. I've known him over 30 years.
And by far, Lindsey Graham was his closest friend in
all of Congress. That means the Senate and the House.
And they played golf all together. They had dinner all
(07:05):
the time. They talked when they weren't together. I mean,
and there's a side of your brother that I think
people didn't know about. And and I'd be up late
at night talking to him all the time. And it's
like a void. There's nights that I still want to
call him or talk to him or, you know, and
he had these grand visions. He wanted peace around the world.
(07:26):
He wanted Donald Trump to be Reagan plus. He used
to say it all the time. But I know in
my heart of hearts that he's looking down on his
little sister and he's.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Very proud of you.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
You had lost all your both your parents by the
time you were 13. And Lindsay dropped out of school
to help raise you. And you once referred to him
as not only your brother, but your mother and your father.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
I mean, that's a powerful statement.
Speaker 5 (07:52):
Yes, it is.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
And I did consider him all three things because... First
of all, I want to say that he considered you
a true friend. He absolutely did. He talked a lot
about you, Sean, and, you know, even the president. So
I know that it's not just me grieving. It's other
people grieving. The staff that have worked for him for
25 and 30 years who are like family. So many
(08:15):
people truly loved Lindsay and truly miss him. In the Senate,
I've seen his colleagues just story after story telling me
just wonderful things about him and how much they miss him.
You know, I look at it, I think he was
truly the glue that held the Senate together. But, you know,
as much as everybody misses him, I just can't even
(08:38):
put into words how much I miss him, Sean, because...
We did go through a tragedy together when we were young.
I was 11 when our mother passed away. Just a
year later, our father passed away, and Lindsay is basically,
with the help of an aunt and uncle, the one
who raised me. He was the one that, you know,
if I had some problem or was super excited about something,
(09:01):
Lindsay was my first call. I actually, on July 11th,
I was at my daughter's house and found out she
was pregnant with my second grandchild. And, you know, I
tried to call him. He was my first call. And unfortunately,
he didn't answer. And I didn't know at that time,
but it was too late. So, yeah, we were just
(09:23):
really close. And I miss him and everybody misses him.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
You know, you're right about this. I'd never go to
Washington much. I like to keep a distance from the
swamp and And we've had private conversations about your transitioning
into this life.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
And I know how proud Lindsay would be.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Of you because the work that he it meant everything
to him, what he did for a living. And I
don't think President President Trump can't talk about your brother much.
He just can't. And I understand him. I read him well.
I could see it at the National Cathedral when he spoke.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
I know what he was.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
How he compartmentalizes things, but I know how much your
brother meant to him.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
All right, quick break.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Right back more with Republican senatorial candidate, current senator in
the great state of South Carolina.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I can't believe a pediatrician. Protect trans kids.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
You know, a person, a pediatrician that advocates, you know,
puberty blockers, hormone therapy for minors.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
This is South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I mean, this extremism now is like a cancer that
is spread throughout the country. More with Darlene on the
other side. 800-941-SHAWN. Also, your calls coming up later on.
Ken Paxton will join us. He's running that race against Telefrico.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Final moment. Starling Graham is with us.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Current senator, South Carolina, up for a full term against
this radical protect trans kids candidate, anti-gun candidate, and a
person that wants puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I mean, on X, protect trans kids. This is South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Can't believe that we're even debating these topics. You know,
I'm watching, you know, what's happening in the country, states
like Kansas. and states like the Free State of Florida,
and states like Texas. And I look at polling every day,
even though I'm telling my audience not to look at it.
And then I look at this opponent of yours in
(11:34):
South Carolina, on X, protect trans kids, and biological males
should be able to play women's sports, and gun control
in the state of South Carolina, and blaming the guns,
not the people that are responsible for shooting the gun. And,
you know, this white women for Kamala Harris, the problem
(11:57):
with white women, what is going on in South Carolina?
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I don't know, Sean. Can you believe that we're talking
about South Carolina? It just blows my mind. The most
recent poll that I think came out yesterday, like you,
I tried not to look at them, but she has
me leading by only 1%. And it just blows my mind.
I hope that encourages people to really get out and
(12:22):
vote because they can't take for granted that a Republican
is going to get in there. They have to show
up on Election Day. But I don't know what is happening.
She talks out of both sides of her mouth. She
has ads where she's basically presenting herself as a moderate Republican.
She flip-flops on everything. I say she's basically transitioning right
(12:44):
before our eyes. But, yeah, she's been paid by a
gun control group, Averytown USA, almost $ 200, 000. As far as
I know, she hasn't been a true practicing pediatrician in
a few years. I think she worked part-time for some
hospital consulting up here in D.C. for a few years.
(13:05):
but all of her ads have her in the lab coat,
the stethoscope, talking about being a pediatrician, but she hasn't
been a practicing pediatrician in a while. I think MUSC
let her go because of her radical views on giving
kids hormone blockers and helping them prepare for transition surgeries.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
I mean, I'm just trying to understand.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
She said the legislation to protect women in sports was shameful.
And then she supported gender affirming care, puberty blockers, hormone
therapy for minors.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
She's flip flopping. She's deceiving the people of South Carolina.
But I think the people of South Carolina are much
smarter than that. But what I'm also worried about is
the Democrats from throughout the country are pouring in millions
of dollars to fund her campaign. I mean, she's been
sitting there for a year just raising money while we
(14:05):
had the primary and the runoff. And so our account
has been depleted. She's running ad after ad after ad
with these lies. So if the listeners want to go
to DarlingGraham.com and chip in just $ 10 or $ 20, that
would be very helpful, and I'd be very grateful.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
I mean, these races, don't take it for granted.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
All of my friends in South Carolina, I don't care
if you're a Gamecock, I don't care if you're a
Tiger fan, it doesn't matter. This does not represent South
Carolinian values.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Period. Full stop.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Anyway, DarleneGraham.com if you want to get a hold of
her campaign. We do appreciate you, Darlene. God bless you.
We're going to watch this race closely, okay?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
God bless. And I want the voters to know I'm
the only conservative running in this race, regardless of what
she says. DarleneGraham.com, please. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
All right, Darlene, we appreciate you more than you know. 800-941-SHAWN.
Very courageous.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Wants to serve her state and her country. I mean,
in the worst moment of her life, she stepped up.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Music music.
Speaker 6 (15:38):
Sean Hannity has spent a quarter of a century hosting
this show. That's longer than some careers, some marriages, and
every diet. And the weirdest thing about it, he's still
doing it.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Hannity is the voice of sense.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Happy anniversary, Sean, and keep it up.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
All right, so last night, it's amazing to me how
many people want to tell me who they think is
going to be the 2028 nominee for either the Republicans
or the Democrats. My best advice to this whole process
is let the people decide. I think it was a
good thing for Donald Trump to be among 16 seasoned politicians.
(16:20):
You know, in the end, he he really stood out
and stood above and was different. And the timing was
perfect for him. But there's a certain strength that you
acquire going through a primary election.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
And but we'll see.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
But certainly somebody at the top of everybody's list and
shows up in the polling is is Marco Rubio, national
security adviser, secretary of state. And there's so much going
on in terms of national security issues and President Xi's
visit and Iran and Cuba. And the list goes on
and on this this terror threat that we had in
Great Britain. And I had a chance to talk to
(16:55):
him about all of it. I want to run this
interview for you. We'll get your calls on the other
side to talk about that and more. Again, only 35
days till Election Day. We've got the best election coverage.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
You know, Mr.
Speaker 7 (17:06):
Secretary, you've been very articulate about the issue of Iran.
Every single person that I've interviewed that would know, and
there aren't many people that would actually know, you're one
of the people that would know. And I'd ask everyone
that did know, and they'd all give me the same
answer or a version of the same answer, and that
is that the president.
Speaker 5 (17:27):
Had no choice.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
If that is true.
Speaker 7 (17:30):
And if everybody's worried about the Strait of Hormuz, what
would the Strait of Hormuz look like? What would the
Middle East be like if Iran ever achieved their stated
goal of getting nuclear weapons?
Speaker 5 (17:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
So here's what, let me take a very basic principle here.
What Iran was trying to do is they were trying
to build up so many conventional weapons, meaning they'd have
so many drones, so many rockets, so many missiles that
nobody could possibly touch them.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
They would become immune.
Speaker 8 (17:56):
And behind that shield, behind that conventional shield of weaponry
to threaten the entire region, our forces, even Europe, they
would then.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
Break out towards a nuclear weapon. That was their goal.
Speaker 8 (18:06):
And what the president had to address is he could
not allow them to cross the line of immunity. He
could not allow them to reach a point where they
had so many missiles, so many drones, and so many
weapons that you couldn't do anything militarily about their nuclear program.
That's what they were trying to achieve. That's what the
president prevented. And he saved the world a tremendous.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
Amount of trouble.
Speaker 8 (18:25):
Now, look, the only way we would have found out
the opposite is to allow it to happen. And then
five years from now, everyone would be saying, I can't
believe they allowed Iran behind a conventional shield to build
and develop a nuclear weapons program. And now you have
North Korea in the Middle East. That's what we were
on the verge of. That's what the president has prevented.
And that's what he has consistently said from the very
beginning of this operation.
Speaker 5 (18:45):
Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.
Speaker 8 (18:48):
And that's what this whole endeavor has been about from
the very beginning. And that's what he's focused on and
continues to be focused on. If Iran had a nuclear weapon,
If Iran had a nuclear weapon, they could do whatever
they want with the Straits.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
Think about what we're doing right now.
Speaker 8 (19:01):
And I think you saw a few minutes ago you
were playing videos of Scott Besant commenting on it.
Speaker 5 (19:04):
The Straits are opened.
Speaker 8 (19:06):
There is almost as much oil flowing through the Straits
now as before this conflict, with the exception of Iranian oil,
which is not getting out. If Iran had a nuclear
weapon with which it could threaten its neighbors and the world...
No one would be able to do anything about the Straits.
They would be able to control the Straits, charge a toll,
and decide who got energy and who did not get
energy on this planet. That's what they would do if
(19:26):
they had a nuclear weapon. And worse, we are talking
about a regime that has slaughtered, slaughtered tens, maybe hundreds
of thousands of their own people throughout this so-called revolution.
Speaker 5 (19:37):
If that's what they're.
Speaker 8 (19:38):
Willing to do to their own people, Imagine what they
would do to Americans or others in the region or
Israelis or anybody if they had a nuclear weapon. They
have no regard for the lives of anyone else. And
my last point I want to make about it. oftentimes
people make the mistake of equating Iran to a country
it is a country but the problem with iran is
not the country the problem with iran is the revolution
(19:59):
and that's what governs in that country it's not the
government officials you see with the suits on that go
on meet the press and get this free pass on
american media that's not what we're talking about here who
calls the shots in iran a radical shia clerics with
an apocalyptic vision of the future they believe that it
is their religious calling to trigger about the the last
days of the world and the apocalypse i know this
(20:21):
sounds you know, to a lot of people watching it.
It sounds like something from a science, from a movie,
but it is the reality.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
It is the stated purpose of the revolution.
Speaker 8 (20:29):
People like that can never possess a nuclear weapon because
they will use it to blackmail the world and to
kill people.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
It is an unacceptable risk.
Speaker 8 (20:37):
And President Trump did what other American presidents said, but
never did, which is prevent Iran from getting one.
Speaker 7 (20:43):
Let's go back to Scott Besson's comments. He said the Iranians'
ability to raise cash and their ability, or they'll have
nothing left to trade in two weeks, while simultaneously the
foreign minister of Iran is talking about drawing up a
doomsday war scenario plan. Look, they peddle propaganda regularly, but
(21:05):
are we that close to seeing the Iranians bankrupt? We
know inflation is about 500 percent. Half the adult workforce
is out of work. and bare necessities are in very
short supply. Are they really that close to being bankrupted?
Speaker 8 (21:19):
Yeah, I mean, I think they are there now, and
they're heading there fast, doing a cataclysm. And they've never
been good economically. It's sad, by the way, because Iran
is a country with tremendous potential. Its people are incredible people,
hardworking people, smart, industrious. with an ancient history to fall
back on and have achieved many things. At one point,
Iran was one of the most prosperous countries in the
Middle East before the radical clerics took over. So it's
(21:40):
a very sad situation. Their economy now is a cataclysm.
But here's the other point people don't realize. This is
not simply about imposing economic costs on this regime. Every
dollar that Iran has, what they have done over the
last 30 years is anytime they get money, be it
under Obama sanction relief, be it under economic selling of
oil and gas or whatever, they don't use that money
(22:00):
to build hospitals. They don't use that money to build roads.
They don't use that money to improve the life of
the Iranian people. They use that money to do two things,
build weapons for themselves and export the revolution. They use
the money to fund Hezbollah. They use the money to
fund Hamas. They use the money to fund Shia militias
in Iraq.
Speaker 5 (22:17):
That's what they use.
Speaker 8 (22:18):
They use the money to sponsor terrorism and assassination plots
all over the world. And so every penny that they
get into their hands is money that they use for
purposes of these malign activities. And so when you're denying
them money through oil sales and sanctions, you're not just
punishing them. You are preventing them from getting access to
money that they will use to try and kill Americans
(22:38):
and others around the world and their own people and
build weapons and threaten the world and ultimately break out
to a nuclear weapon program.
Speaker 7 (22:45):
Let me ask you about President Xi's visit. Look, I'm
never going to trust the communist Chinese. I don't think
most Americans will trust them. Their intellectual property theft alone
is a clear and present danger. I really worry about
those people that would want us to unilaterally disarm when
it comes to artificial intelligence, for example. The communist Chinese
(23:06):
are not going to stop. But I want to ask
you this. You know, just prior to the visit, it
was announced that the president.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
I think.
Speaker 7 (23:15):
People didn't even take him seriously when he was talking
about Greenland, but he was able to secure a deal
where we can build our military bases and maintain them
in perpetuity, even if the island were ever sold off,
and simultaneously keeping out our top geopolitical foes, being China
and Russia.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
How did President Xi react to that news?
Speaker 5 (23:38):
Well, it didn't come up. We didn't discuss it in
the meetings. It didn't come up.
Speaker 8 (23:41):
But I can tell you it's an extraordinary achievement by
the president. Hasn't gotten nearly enough credit for it from
the very beginning. Going back to the first administration under
President Trump, but now he's made abundantly clear that the
issue of Greenland is not about territorial conquest. It is
about national security. Now, Greenland has always been important. It
was important during the Second World War, which is why
the United States had to secure it during the Second
(24:02):
World War to prevent the Nazi Germany from taking it
over and so forth. It's always played an important role
during the Cold War. It has more important role today
than ever before for two reasons.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
Number one is because the Arctic.
Speaker 8 (24:13):
Region has now become an area of incredible competition. Multiple countries,
including countries that are not Arctic countries that call themselves
near Arctic countries like China, are out there operating every
single day trying to dominate sea lanes, which are important
for global shipping and commerce. But the other is because
of space warfare and because of missile defense. In order
to build the sort of missile defense this country needs
(24:35):
to protect itself, Greenland is incredibly.
Speaker 5 (24:37):
Important for all of North America.
Speaker 8 (24:39):
And so the fear was, and the concern has always been,
and we've seen this play out in other parts of
the world, is that countries and potential adversaries go into
a place and they use investments. They buy a port.
They build a port. They build an airport. They build
something that has a dual use to it. It looks
like an airport. It looks like a seaport. But it's
built in a way that looks like a military base.
And they begin to access land rights and possession rights
(25:01):
in these places. And all of a sudden you wake
up one day and you realize that you have an
adversary and a competitor that's taking control of the Panama Canal.
or taking control of some other critical part of the world.
And so it's always been about national security. And what
we were able to reach is an agreement with both
the Kingdom of Norway but also Denmark that allows us
now to have the presence that we need to secure Greenland,
(25:24):
secure our national security, and it's good for them as well.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
Under this agreement, which exists now in perpetuity, never, ever, Will.
Speaker 8 (25:30):
Any adversary of the United States have the ability to
invest there without our approval and their approval? But also
we will have access to building new military facilities that
will allow us to build the sort of missile defense
shield that all of North America needs.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
It benefits North America. It benefits Europe. It benefits NATO.
Speaker 8 (25:47):
So it's an extreme and it didn't cost the American
taxpayer a single penny. An incredible achievement, and I think
our allies are happy with it as well.
Speaker 7 (25:55):
Before I go to Latin America and Cuba and Venezuela,
let me ask you this question. Would we have the
ability to get rarer minerals, for example, that apparently Greenland
might be very rich in?
Speaker 8 (26:07):
Sure, we'll do it in partnership with them. I mean,
at the end, this is an allied country, this is
an allied place. Now that this is behind us, I
think we have the opportunity to make good investments there.
We do it in partnership with them. It'll be beneficial
for them. That's not why we did it. I mean,
the key to Greenland, as I said, is its geography
is so critically important to our national security.
Speaker 5 (26:25):
That's what it's always been about.
Speaker 8 (26:27):
If there are commercial opportunities that are beneficial for us,
but also beneficial to Greenland, that's.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
Something we'll be able to explore.
Speaker 8 (26:34):
What we don't have to worry about is some adversary
taking control of that and using it for their own
benefit as opposed to the benefit of our allies and
ultimately of the United States as well.
Speaker 7 (26:43):
Is Cuba about to fall, and can you update us
on Venezuela?
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Well, the truth is Cuba's already fallen.
Speaker 8 (26:48):
It doesn't have a functional economy, and it's governed by
people who continue to preach about some revolution that has
been dead for 20 years.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
It's never worked. And that's the problem they have. The
problem that Cuba.
Speaker 8 (27:00):
Has basically right now is it is a failed state
in every sense of the word. Now, they may have
a government that's capable of jailing and killing people.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
They have a regime that's.
Speaker 8 (27:09):
Capable of and has jailed and killed people. But it's
not a functional government and it's not a functional country.
It just simply isn't. And in addition to that, it's
one that's fueled by corruption, graft and theft. You know,
the Cuban economy, there is no Cuban economy that benefits
the Cuban people. Anything that had a chance of making
money in Cuba was controlled by the Cuban military and
the Cuban Communist Party to line the pockets of a
(27:30):
handful of individuals at the expense of the entire country.
You know that since 2021, at least close to 20
percent of Cuba's population has left the country. has left
it because it's a failure, a complete failure. So we're
hopeful that Cuba will choose a different path. We're hopeful
that the people that today sort of control the arms
and the repressive regime, that there will be some people
(27:52):
in there that open their eyes to the reality of
what they're facing.
Speaker 5 (27:54):
What they're no longer going to do as long as Donald.
Speaker 8 (27:57):
Trump is president is they're no longer going to be
able to steal money and make money off the backs
of the Cuban people. And what we're not going to
allow ever under any circumstances, as long as President Trump
is president, is we're never going to allow Cuba to
become a base of operation against American interests. or pose
a threat to our national security. On that, we're abundantly clear.
As in every case, you can ask about any country
or any problem in the world, and I will tell
(28:18):
you that the preference of our president is to solve
these things diplomatically and in a way that you can
reach an agreement and get Cuba or any country on
a path to irreversible positive change that involves economic freedoms,
but also involves political freedoms. In fact, you cannot have
economic freedom in Cuba if you don't have political freedom first.
You have to have both happening at least at the
same time That will require a period of transition. Unfortunately,
(28:42):
the people that continue there to chant revolutionary slogans, too
many of them still believe that they could wait out
this administration and make no changes or do nothing. They
are wrong, and they will learn the lesson the hard
way if they don't correct.
Speaker 7 (28:54):
In the partnership with Venezuela, we have about 30 seconds.
Speaker 5 (28:57):
Well, in Venezuela, two things are happening.
Speaker 8 (28:58):
One, their economy needs to continue to recover because the
people of Venezuela have suffered so much. Understand, we're talking
about 25 or 30 years of corruption and graft. But
the other thing that has to happen and we're really
focused on is a democratic transition. They need to have
free and fair elections in that country. We're working very
hard with the 2015 National Assembly to put in place
the conditions necessary to have free and fair elections as
(29:19):
soon as possible. And then Venezuela will really be on
the upswing it deserves to be on.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
All right. Quick break. Right back.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Final moments with Marco Rubio. Then your calls coming up
final hour of the show. Also, we will be checking
in with Ken Paxton. That's coming up as we continue.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Hour roundup is next. You do not want to miss it.
Speaker 6 (29:43):
And stay tuned for the final hour free-for-all on the
Sean Hannity Show.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
All right, when we come back, we'll check in with
Ken Paxton, Senate candidate from the great state of Texas, next.
The Sean Hannity Show News
Host
Sean Hannity
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