PETE HEGSETH, FOX NEWS HOST: Remember, you can catch alongside my co-host, Rachel Campos-Duffy and Will Cain Saturday and Sunday mornings on Fox & Friends. Weekend.
I hope you have a great night and a great weekend. And I will see you after a quick nap at 6 am in the morning. Have a good one.
LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: I’m Laura Ingraham. And this is THE INGRAHAM ANGLE on a very busy Friday night. So we’re going to dive right in.
Our vanishing president. That’s the focus of tonight’s ANGLE.
There might be, and I emphasize, might be some good news regarding the Ukraine-Russia conflict tonight. Turkey’s leader Recep Erdogan said Russia and Ukraine are nearing a peace deal.
According to his account. Again, we take it with a grain of salt. “There’s almost a consensus regarding such issues as NATO, disarmament, collective security and using Russian as an official language in the technical infrastructure works during the ongoing process in Belarus.”
Now, of course, if that’s true, there still remain deep disagreements about the status of the breakaway provinces in eastern Ukraine. But Russia did say last night that its Military operation, if that’s what you want to call it, in Ukraine was mostly complete. And that going forward, it would focus primarily on the eastern part of the nation.
Now, this is actually, if true, a big shift, and may indicate that Russia after inflicting heinous pain and suffering on Ukrainian people has now limited its goals in Ukraine.
Now, if America actually had a strong leader, a real president, he’d find a way right now to capitalize on these potential breakthroughs and encourage everyone, all parties, to hammer out a peace deal and do it as soon as possible.
Now, this would save countless lives and prevent more suffering. But instead, we have Joe Biden, who comes off as kind of a distant observer of all of this, not the leader of the free world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: There’s negotiations – there are discussions, I should say, that have taken place that I have not been part of, including Ukrainians. And it’s fair judgment to make.
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INGRAHAM: Now, first he had to disappear from the campaign trail, remember, in 2020, because of COVID. Now, he’s vanishing from the world stage taking a backseat to lesser powers and NATO. He’s just waiting for his marching orders at this point.
Meanwhile, he is previewing the wonderful future all of us Americans are going to have to look forward to under his watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: We did – we started talking about food shortages. And it’s going to be real. The price of the sanctions is not just imposed upon Russia. It’s imposed upon an awful lot of countries as well, including European countries and our country as well.
They are been the breadbasket of the world, Ukraine and Russia. But we, the United States, are going to do our part because we’re the third largest producer of wheat in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
INGRAHAM: Now, an American president is supposed to reassure us. Biden just terrifies us, he depresses us. But just in case, you haven’t heard enough from him, he will have more tomorrow on the crisis.
Of course, the same crisis that never would have occurred under President Trump. And you can bet that American taxpayers will be forced to foot the bill once again.
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JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR TO U.S. PRESIDENT: He will give a major address tomorrow that will speak to the stakes of this moment, the urgency of the challenge that lies ahead, what the conflict in Ukraine means for the world.
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INGRAHAM: Wait. Did he say, means for the world?
Now, Mr. I’ve met more foreign leaders than anyone alive, hasn’t had one foreign policy success under his belt. Unless you call his Afghanistan withdrawal a win for America.
But we do know one thing. Under Biden’s watch China always ends up with the longer end of the stick. The CCP is laughing, learning and plotting as Biden flails and flaunt rounders from one crisis to the next.
Now, even when President Biden tries to be empathetic with all of the tragedy unfolding for the Ukrainian people, he somehow manages to botch it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: When you see a 30-year-old woman standing there in front of a tank with a rifle. I mean, talk about what happened in Tiananmen Square. That’s Tiananmen Square squared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
INGRAHAM: Did he actually say, that’s Tiananmen Square squared? How profound?
Now, why hasn’t Biden released the transcript of that big call he had a few weeks ago with President Xi, by the way? Shouldn’t the American people know what was said, what has perhaps negotiated away?
We know China’s state media and all their outlets indicated that Biden had agreed to play nice on all the issues important to the CCP. But of course, we don’t really know what the truth is. Because Biden’s people refuse to be transparent about, what if anything he offered China in return for their help with Russia.
Now, not only though is China acting as a backstop for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, it’s right now expanding its influence and reach as American officials are distracted in Eastern Europe.
A disturbing report today that President Xi is hashing out the final details of a secret security agreement with the Solomon Islands, that tiny island nation strategically situated off northern Australia, not too far from New Zealand either.
Now, tipping the balance of power toward China and the Indo-Pacific, well, that move represents a serious threat to our allies and frankly, to U.S. interests. Once again, American weakness has far reaching implications, none of them good.
“There is no question that the balance of security in the region would be affected, said Peter Jennings, Executive Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank. It would enormously complicate Australia’s ability to move subs and ships and aircraft along the Australian east coast. They’ll be watched from the Solomon Islands.”
So once again, China has outmaneuvered a feeble-minded U.S. president, who seems more worried about getting home to Delaware for the weekend than the geopolitical storm clouds ahead.
And beyond the President himself, China knows it doesn’t face any obstacles, or any real calls for accountability from any members of Biden’s cabinet either. They don’t need more lobbyists in DC and China. No. They have Biden’s Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you consider sanctions on China as an ally of Russia at this point?
JANET YELLEN, TREASURY SECRETARY: So I don’t think that that’s necessary or appropriate. At this point, we – senior administration officials are talking privately and quietly with China to make sure that they understand our position.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
INGRAHAM: Oh, they understand it all right, Secretary Yellen. Weakness is very easy to spot and very easy to understand. And that’s the ‘Angle’.
All right. Joining me now and I’m thrilled they’re with us, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, Daniel Davis, senior fellow at the defense priorities group; and Gordon Chang, senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and author of “The Great U.S.-China Tech War”.
Gordon, this move I want to hit first and the Solomon Islands security pack that they hoped to keep secret, but it leaked out. How significant is this given the location of the Solomon Islands in the Indo-Pacific.
GORDON CHANG, “GREAT U.S.-CHINA TECH WAR” AUTHOR: It’s extremely significant for a number of reasons. It’s not only the location of the Solomon Islands. Remember, this is Guadalcanal, territory that the U.S. paid and blood for.
But it’s also just an opening in a number of different areas in the Pacific. So, for instance, in Carabosse, which is 1800 miles from Hawaii, China wants to build an airstrip. Now, in Pacific terms, that let’s Carabosse the next door neighbor of Hawaii. And our Pentagon seems to be oblivious.
But this is true throughout the entire region. This is an important part of the world. It’s right next to the U.S.. This means that China is on our doorstep. So it’s not just the Solomons, it is a lack of the American will to defend our interests to out this vast part of the world.
INGRAHAM: And I have to say, when we look at how this is unfolding, Colonel Davis, it’s not really that surprising, given what we’ve seen from Biden in Eastern Europe. I’m very wary of American boots on the ground are accelerating the world toward a third world war in Europe.
But at the same time, essentially, Biden’s just waiting for orders from either Erdogan or Macron, or whoever else is going to oversee these negotiations.
LT COL DANIEL DAVIS, U.S. ARMY: Yes, I’d honestly like to see the President take a little bit more proactive measures here in something besides just providing more Military weapons, or ammunition, or any more threats. Look, there’s place for all that, because Putin deserves punishment for the things that he’s done and the blood that has been spilled and continues to be spilled.
But President Biden, any U.S. president’s first responsibility has to be the security of the United States. And so, he has to make sure he doesn’t push too hard so that he actually ends up pushing us right up against the potential for a clash with Russia.
And Russia right now is terrified of all the NATO power that’s continued to come up to its border. And a scared Russia is not what we want. We want one that’s actually willing to back off and we have to provide some kind of off ramp for that and that means strong, disciplined diplomacy, so that we can make sure our needs are taken care of, but also we don’t push it too far.
INGRAHAM: Gordon, to that point, I heard a number of commentators on television saying, Well, we don’t want to push Zelenskyy toward a deal that gives Putin a win in Ukraine. That would be catastrophic. Is that the right way to look at this? Is that what the United States would be doing, if we were urging more serious negotiations than we are?
CHANG: It really depends what the United States would say. The problem here is that Russia is breaking down the international order. So there are all sorts of significant points here that we have yet to really think about. So essentially, what we should be doing is we shouldn’t be pressuring Zelenskyy to cave in.
And that’s what I’m afraid of, if the Biden administration actually starts to get really involved in these negotiations, because we know that Biden wants a lot from Russia in connection with the Iran nuclear deal, which shouldn’t be – being discussed at this point, should never be discussed. So I’m really concerned if Biden does become more involved in Eastern Europe.
INGRAHAM: Well, right now, Colonel Davis, we have a situation where China is on the move in multiple places. We learned that, of course – we learned that the islands in the South Pacific – South China Seas, we’re worried about being militarized we found out this week or was revealed this week or last week that they are fully militarized.
How significant is that now they’re in the Solomon Islands, and those military positions, and those contested islands?
DAVIS: Yes. Well, I mean, that’s – obviously, when anytime you have an enemy or a potential enemy expand its base of operations where it could extend those – the firepower to look further into the Asia Pacific area, that’s a concern that we have to have.
Unlike a lot of these other things, we have to make sure that we use our economic leverage wisely where we can. Let’s work with China where we can and be absolutely clear, where they – we can’t work with them, and where there is a price to pay if they move in directions that are antithetical to our interests.
INGRAHAM: But, Gordon, Secretary Yellen says, now is not the time – not the appropriate time to put any financial pressure on China. We’re too entangled, can’t do anything?
CHANG: No. There’s a lot that we can do, because China, for instance, is fragile. But Yellen’s pronouncements were fundamentally wrong. If we go back to the readout of that phone call, video call that Biden had with Xi Jinping last Friday, Biden said that he actually talked about the consequences if China provided material aid to Russia.
Well, China has been providing material aid to Russia from the beginning of this war. And so clearly, we should be imposing sanctions on it. And Yellen should actually start to look at the facts before she make public pronouncements on TV.
INGRAHAM: Pro-China hack, I’ll say it. Gentlemen, thank you.
Now, the Biden administration announced yesterday that we would welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. Obviously, our hearts break for the people in Ukraine. It is absolutely horrific what has happened to them. But is bringing them all the way to the United States in their best interests? And what about the U.S. taxpayers?
Joining me now is Todd Bensman, senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, and author of “America’s Covert Border War”.
Todd, you recently called it a fable that these Ukrainian war refugees desperately need American sanctuary and even would qualify for asylum. Why is that?
TODD BENSMAN, “AMERICA’S COVERT BORDER WAR” AUTHOR: Well, that’s because all 27 countries of the European Union have generously offered three-year residencies to every Ukrainian war refugee. That means that they have full access to their health care systems, to work authorization, and housing subsidies, and also the UK. I might mention also.
So there’s really no reason whatsoever for Ukrainians to be coming to our border or for us to be bringing in huge swells, numbers of Ukrainians here. They’re doing great for a group of war refugees. It’s the kind of the – the issue is that they are not asylum seekers. They have asylum right in their own neighborhoods. So it’s a little bit
The West Virginia Senator released a statement earlier today saying, “Judge Jackson’s record and career are exemplary. Notably, Judge Jackson and her family spend a great deal of time in West Virginia and her deep love of our state and commitment to public service were abundantly clear. I’m confident Judge Jackson is supremely qualified to have serve as our nation’s next Supreme Court Justice.”
The West Virginia plug is shameless, totally irrelevant. She doesn’t care about the people there, or apparently, neither does Manchin at this point.
Joining us now is Mollie Hemingway, Fox News contributor, senior editor at The Federalist. Mollie, that one line from Manchin thrown in to his press release, where he just landed her credentials in her performance and the hearings and so forth. That really does sum up the total disregard of our Constitution and how important this role of Supreme Court Justice really is.
MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE FEDERALIST: This is a really important decision for senators to make. This is – if she’s confirmed to justice, she’ll sit on the court for decades. She has an extremely radical approach to the Constitution. That’s why she is supported by some of the most fringe leftist groups and they put a lot of money behind making sure she would make it to the court.
And that not – we’re told that the Democrat Party includes a bunch of radicals, but also some moderates. Well, this should have been something that would be easy for any moderate to vote against. And that not any of them are doing it shows just how beholden to the progressive left the Democrat Party has become.
INGRAHAM: Well, again, we have a woman who doesn’t know, or won’t say what a woman is. She was incredibly invasive – evasive on key matters, including her own judicial philosophy, which she kind of tried to pass off as originalist.
But, Mollie, for the people of West Virginia who care about things such as gun rights, religious liberty rights. What do Judge Jackson’s background and her views on the Constitution – how does that inform what she will do on those seminal cases, knowing how the other more liberal justices react to those cases?
HEMINGWAY: Right. We – it’s lovely that this judge who might become a justice enjoys West Virginia. Many of us enjoy West Virginia. That’s not the key question. The key question is, how will she rule on all sorts of cases affecting the lives of West Virginians, and people throughout the country.
This is someone who has a view of the Constitution. She is supported by groups who deride and condemn the U.S. Constitution, who hate our founding principles, who do not believe in natural rights. And there is a reason why they support her so much, and why so many secret donors made sure that Joe Biden would be elected and that he would pick from a slate of extremely left-leaning judges.
Right now, the situation on the court might not give her much sway, but with another opening, that would give her quite a bit of sway. And because of her age, she could have a huge role to play.
So Joe Manchin is not being very responsible in terms of what his voters and his state need in terms of securing gun rights, or other things that are very important to the American existence. And the idea that because she enjoys vacationing there that that’s – that that makes it all ok, is ridiculous.
INGRAHAM: Just again, focusing on Manchin and the people of West Virginia, their views of the Constitution and the Second Amendment and how that’s protected and should be protected.
He said in his statement supporting her that, “During our meeting, she was warm and gracious. Mollie. On the top of her impressive resume, she has the temperament to make an exceptional jurist.”
Now, I’m not saying temperament doesn’t matter at all, but it kind of is irrelevant when you’re talking about applying law, as written by representatives of duly-elected representatives and supported by a sitting president.
Temperament really doesn’t matter. It’s the plain language of the statute that governs, yet repeatedly she just ignored plain – statute language and decided cases on the – on policy grounds, like she did on that immigration case.
HEMINGWAY: Right. If someone is pleasant while running roughshod over the Constitution, I don’t think people really care about the pleasantness. They care about the net effect.
Senator Mike Lee actually pointed out that some of her rulings, where she’s very devoted to the administrative state to the swamp of Washington, DC, where she wouldn’t even let a case be heard in West Virginia because she was focused on it being heard in DC, which is definitely the region that she is most beholden to.
But yet, temperament is fine and nice. And pretty much anyone who’s a federal judge has a pretty good temperament. But that has nothing to do with the damage that can be caused by nicely ruling against all sorts of protections that we enjoy as Americans. And that is what she has shown through her radical background.
INGRAHAM: Well, West Virginia, lookout if Justice Jackson is confirmed. Mollie, thank you.
