Fox News "Hannity" - Transcript: Reps. Matt Gaetz and Ron DeSantis on the IG report fallout

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

PIRRO: Joining us now are Florida Congressman Ron DeSantis, and Matt Gaetz. All right good evening gentlemen. I'll start with you Congressman DeSantis. I mean this has been a long time effort on your part to get to the inspector general's report.

I have it right here. All 500 and whatever pages of it. I haven't had a chance to read it all. But I promise you I will before my show tomorrow night, your take Congressman DeSantis.

REP. RON DESANTIS, R-FLORDIA: Well I think what it's done is its vindicated Trump. And really both prongs of the Mueller investigation. You mentioned you have a Democrat inspector general basically saying Comey should have fired. I've always said Comey should have been fired.

You've believed that. But the idea that you're going to have an obstruction of justice investigation. Because Trump fired the FBI director who the IG acknowledges had no business being FBI director is a farce. And then the other thing I think it undercuts is the whole genesis of this so called collusion narrative.

They did not give that text message to the congress when we asked. Where Strzok says we will stop Trump from becoming president. This is the guy that six days earlier opens up a counter intelligence investigation against Trumps campaign. This whole thing is infected with bias and it needs to stop.

PIRRO: And Congressman Gaetz, I mean with respect for what Congressman DeSantis just said. Look one of the most damming text messages that he just referenced had to do with Strzok saying don't worry about it.

You know we'll stop it when asked do you think he'll ever be elected President. Now that information was not given to congress. What are you guys going to do about it besides get on a show and complain about it?

REP. MATT GAETZ, R-FLORIDA: Well frankly I think we need to impeach Rod Rosenstein because these text messages that showed that there was an effort not only to reflect biased against the president. But to manifest that biased in a way that impacted people's official actions as government representatives is reprehensible.

We asked for these documents a year ago. And this was blacked out. It was redacted. There's no national security reason not to share this information with Congress. It's just embarrassing to the FBI that they had this swamp alligators crawling around.

PIRRO: Yes, but --

GAETZ: And doing everything they could to be destructive.

PIRRO: But you know what's frustrating Congressman DeSantis is that when the American people. When the viewers watch this and last night I was on Sean's show when he was hosting.

And I said you know what's so sad is I have always believed in the system. Can American's believe in the FBI based upon the fact that it seems that long term damage has been done to the institution?

DESANTIS: Oh, I don't think there's any question about that Judge. And it's not just Strzok and Page. I mean there were other FBI agents. One was said after Trump won who was part of the Hillary investigation. Part of the Mueller investigation. He said via la resistance. That's what his response was.

This is the guy working with Mueller. I mean give me a break. And I think that you also have all the leaking in the report showing just a cascade of leeks. You have agents getting gifts from reporters. So there is broad problems in the headquarters there. And I thought Christopher Wray press conference he was not --

PIRRO: Everyone is frustrated. We know it's wrong. We know that Joe Shmoe would be in jail right now. But it's not happening.

DESANTIS: So here's what I would say.

PIRRO: Yes.

DESANTIS: This -- the text message. Either Rosenstein knew that that text message hadn't been produced. If that's the case he needs to go. Or he wasn't competent enough to get us the information we requested. To me he should go. So I think his continued position there is really untenable at this point.

PIRRO: All right. And Congressman Gaetz I mean I've everybody say Rosenstein should be going for a long time. What are you going to do about it?

GAETZ: I think we need to file articles of impeachment.

PIRRO: When?

GAETZ: Let's remember this is the same Ron Rosenstein who said -- I think we need to do it immediately. I'm ready to go. I mean we're trying to gather the support.

PIRRO: What do you need Congressman? What do you need to get it done? Talk to me.

GAETZ: 218 votes. I need 218 votes in the Congress of people who have the courage to stand up against a deep state that is actively working against our president today. I mean why does Peter Strzok still have a job?

Why is this guy still an alligator crawling around in the swamp of Washington D.C.? We got to get rid of him. And the fact that we haven't yet shows a lack of leadership at the top of the FBI and the Department of Justice.

PIRRO: Or with all due respect. The prosecutor in me tells me he might be cooperating. But then I say to myself. Self who is he cooperating with? What do you say Congressman DeSantis.

DESANTIS: Exactly.

PIRRO: Who could he be cooperating with?

DESANTIS: Well I couldn't here -- I'm actually not getting all that Matt's saying. But I mean what are we going to do about it? I mean what I would say is you hold these people in contempt. And then if they don't produce what we want. You move to impeach them and remove them from office.

That's the power we have. If we're not going to use that power then we're going to continue having the same stuff. Where we come on your show, we complain, and we don't ever get any results. And so we've got to use the power that we have.

PIRRO: All right. But Congressman DeSantis what Congressman Gaetz just said was that we need over 200 votes for an actual impeachment of Rosenstein. And every time something comes out we say this is another reason to impeach him.

DESANTIS: But you know this Judge if you have a speaker of the house exercising leadership. The majority leader and they say Rosenstein's got to go. They can marshal the support of the congress. And yes it wouldn't even come to an impeachment because when you lose the support of the congressional leadership.

And you're in a position like that you probably can't go. If we just put a resolution on that floor Rosenstein should go and that passed he would be done. So it could happen. We just need people to exercise leadership.

PIERRO: So let me ask you this. Why isn't Paul Ryan doing it, to either one of you?

DEDANTIS: Have him on your show.

PIERRO: You know what? I'll call him to be on my show tomorrow night, Paul Ryan. All right, and final question. In terms of the FBI do you believe that Christopher Wray, who has pretty much sat by and watched all of this.

And didn't too many people take enough of a recognition of the serious damage that had been done by Comey. Do you feel comfortable Congressman Gaetz in his leading the FBI going forward?

GAETZ: Christopher Wray can lead the FBI in an appropriate way. He needs to do so by immediately firing Peter Strzok and by taking far swifter action. I believe Chris Wray understands how damaging the acts of these anti Trump people have been to the FBI.

But frankly I would like to see a production of the documents that get to the very root of all of this. And by the way the root of it is Russia. These people wanted to get rid of the Hillary Clinton investigation. They wanted to launch a phony Russia investigation.

PIERRO: Wow.

GAETZ: And won't have confidence in anybody until the documents are turned over.

PIERRO: OK. All right, except the problem with not getting rid of Strzok is if he is cooperating then no one's going to get rid of him. Or maybe there is a thinking that let's make him think he's cooperating and keep him here, because there's no reason to keep him. Congressman DeSantis I'll see you tomorrow night on my show Justice. And Congressman Gaetz thanks so much for being with us.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source