Fox News "The Ingraham Angle" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Steve Scalise

Interview

INGRAHAM: This is insane. I mean, Rudy, this is insane. First of all, we are so glad you are safe. Glad the switchblade was not operating or he didn't know how to operate it. But Congressman Scalise, of course, I thought about you, the first moment I heard about this, read about it, I thought about you, and everything you and your family have gone through over this past year. Your reaction to this entire trajectory since last year to today, given what has happened?

REP. STEVE SCALISE, R--LA.: Laura, first, it's great to be back with you, and there is no place for this in American politics. The foundation of this country is about free and open debate. We encourage it. We ultimately placed into the Bill of Rights the First Amendment to allow people the freedom of speech, to even criticize their government, but not to resort to violence.

We actually resolve our political differences at the ballot box in America. That is what we have always been about. And this violence, the insightfulness, the call to arms in essence amongst liberals, has to stop.

INGRAHAM: Well, the left is saying, Congressman Scalise that, well, Donald Trump started this. It's his divisive rhetoric, it's a life or death situation for Americans, we're going to lose our health care, women are going to lose their right to abortion. It's a life-and-death situation. Well, we don't want you to resort to violence, but, as Maxine Waters said push them back, find them where they are, go to restaurants, gas stations, essentially don't let people operate, like Rudy was doing, in public.

SCALISE: There is no but to that sentence and you pointed that out, Laura. But look, with this president -- when Donald Trump ran for office, he promised that he would actually fight for those forgotten men and women.

There were millions of Americans that had been left behind, that weren't even part of the American dream because they had been discarded by the previous administration with a horrible economy, with crazy regulation, things that were killing manufacturing in our country.

And you literally saw parts of our country being eviscerated. The middle class was being eviscerated. And Donald Trump ran and said, I'm going to stand up for you.

INGRAHAM: They don't care.

SCALISE: And his policies are actually following through.

INGRAHAM: But they don't care. Congressman, they, the left --

SCALISE: Nobody understand that.

INGRAHAM: -- and way too many of the Democrats -- Eric Swalwell came out in a tweet and he condemned the violence toward Mr. Peters. So that is good. We haven't heard very much --

SCALISE: We need to see more of that.

INGRAHAM: Yes, we haven't seen much with Maxine Waters --

SCALISE: All Democrat leaders, yes --

INGRAHAM: -- and Schumer and Pelosi, where are they? We have a congressional candidate being attacked with a switchblade, yelling "F Trump" and we're just, let's go, this is another day. And you were almost killed.

SCALISE: They really need to be called on to call out this kind of violence. If this was going on the right, you know what would happen, Laura. Every mainstream media outlet would be reporting this, calling on each one of us, they'd have microphones in our faces, would you denounce it? And you know what, I would denounce it.

I denounce anything that happens on either side but you don't see about enough from the left and it needs to happen more, but they need to be challenged. You know, where are these liberal talk show hosts that yell and scream and rant and rave, if their incitement is actually leading somebody to go and commit violence? That is not what this country is about.

INGRAHAM: It is by any means necessary. And everyone watching tonight, you have to understand that we're at not for a switchblade not operating, Mr. Peters having the wherewithal and the physical strength to push this guy back, you might have had your throat slit.

And Congressman Scalise, you came very close to dying and it could have been a mass slaughter at the baseball game. That was politically motivated. I do not think it was adequately covered as such, as political violence by the American media.

I am very upset about what is going on. And Republicans have to be careful with their rhetoric, the president, everybody has got to take it down a notch. It is way too hot, and debate is great but this is obscene, what is happening. Mr. Peters, a student group opposed to a speaker on college campuses, you think about what happens at Berkeley and so forth, check this out.

'Do you agree or disagree that the student group's actions are acceptable if they resort to violence to prevent a speaker from speaking?' Eighty-one percent disagree that the student groups' actions are acceptable. That's a good, you know, that is a good deal. They shouldn't be violent. I think young people, frankly, with their head screwed on straight, most of them know that. Rudy, close it out.

PETERS: Yes, exactly. This gentleman was 35-years-old. He's not a child. We didn't see him earlier in the day. It is not like we had a dialogue or an issue or a conflict where he discussed some policy issues or stances. I don't know what was in his mind, but you know, the latest report is his mother was with the Democratic club group there in that area and --

INGRAHAM: Now Rudy, we are out of time, but I'll tell you what it is. I don't mean to interrupt you. Let's make it really clear and Congressman Scalise knows this. This is hatred toward Donald Trump and his agenda. That is it. It's not about the country getting better.

It is not about blue-collar workers, wages going up, opportunities for African-Americans. It is destroy him by any means necessary, using any tools, legitimate, illegitimate, most of them just do not care at this point. That's how bad it's gone.

SCALISE: And (inaudible) of democracy too, Laura. They don't respect the things of this country is founded upon.

INGRAHAM: Good point. All right, gentlemen, thank you so much tonight.

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