i'm megyn kelly and this is a "kelly file" special on weather understood ground co-founder bill ayers. welcome to "hannity" this is a fox news alert. there's new evidence that russia is firing artillery across its border into ukraine. i'm eric boeing in tonight for sean. according to u.s. officials russia in a clear escalation is now aiming directly at ukrainian military targets. for the very latest we turn to fox's own steve harrigan on the ground in ukraine. >> reporter: we can hear steady firing on the outskirts. any idea, any prediction that the russians would pullback after there could be a cease-fire after the downing of the civilian jetliner were wrong. we've seen an intervention, direct intervention of forces from inside russian territory

against ukrainian government forces. it is according to u.s. military officials a game changer, something which could change the nature of the relationship between russia and the u.s. the attacks from the russian military assertions are being made not just from ukrainian government sources but from the u.s. state department and the pentagon as well. russian military now playing a direct role in this conflict. and the fighting around that crash scene has really slowed down any investigation. it's pretty much a bare zone down there with no active investigation yet underway. there's talk about some european nations sending police to provide security. but eight days after that tragedy it's still just talk. in the meantime back in the netherlands 74 more coffins arrived placed into 74 hearses. the final transfer of bodies, victims from ukraine to the netherlands should take place on saturday. eric, back to you. >> steve, thank you. while the world watches, vladimir putin flexes his military muscles again. could this force president obama to finally take action? fox's own jennifer griffin is

standing by in washington with the latest on how the u.s. may react. jennifer. >> eric, the pentagon says their latest intelligence shows the russians are preparing to make an eminent delivery of a high caliber multirocket launching system to the separatists in you crane. pentagon spokesman steve warren said the russians are still firing artillery, as you mentioned, and rockets across the border. like you see in this video from july 16th. u.s. officials are warning that they are seeing a big escalation by russia as we speak. a statement that flies directly in the face of how hillary clinton described relations with russia to npr. >> the reset worked. it was an effort to try to obtain russian cooperation on some key objectives while medvedev was president, he gave medvedev a certain amount of independence to negotiate. >> reporter: we all remember the

gaffe clinton made in 2009 when one of her first moves she handed her russian sergei with the wrong words printed on it said overloaded, not reset as intended. few in the pentagon would argue today that the diplomatic outreach or reset to russia worked. in fact, chairman of the joint chiefs general martin dempsey told a security forum in aspen russia is not going to stop with ukraine. >> you've got a russian government that has made the conscious decision to use its military force inside of another sovereign nation to achieve its objectives. first time, i think, probably since 1939 or so that that's been the case. >> reporter: 1939, a reference to the eve of world war ii and russia's invasion of poland. chairman dempsey added the pentagon is dusting off plans for how to counter russia that are 20 years old, plans that

they haven't looked at since the cold war, eric. >> jen for, thank you. meanwhile, hours ago israel rejected secretary of state kerry's cease-fire proposal. this as today marked day 18 of the country's military operation. violence escalation every day, for the latest on what is happening op the ground, we turn to conor powell standing by in gaza city. conor. >> reporter: well, eric, for a few hours today there seemed like there was a small chance, a very small chance that there may have been some type of truce or cease-fire agreement signed. but as the day and night wore on it was becoming clearer and clearer that there was too much space between the two sides. hamas wasn't even publicly commenting, not picking up their phones about this agreement. israel's security cabinet rejecting it unanimously earlier in the evening. according to one israeli official they described it as essentially hamas' cease-fire. they're very unhappy with the terms of the agreement even though it was supposed to be a

seven-day cease-fire allowing israel to keep their troops here in gaza. israel simply saying no thank you, not at all. but we're now getting word that both sides have actually agreed to a short-term humanitarian cease-fire to begin saturday morning to last about 12 or so hours. this will allow medical supplies and food and gasoline to be brought into gaza. whether or not this will lead to a long-term cease-fire it's not clear yet. but israel's defense minister is warning that after the cease-fire the military may actually expand its military operations here in gaza. so the fighting could even escalate going forward. israel of course wants the rockets to stop being fired from gaza into israel. and they want these tunnels destroyed. neither side seems willing to trust the other to sort of walk down the path. secretary kerry did say that he feels like there is a framework in place for this agreement, but right now the terminology simply isn't there. but, eric, as you point out the fighting is continuing here. the death toll well up over 840

people killed. many of those civilians and women and children here in gaza. that number could of course increase over the next few days as well as heavy fighting now. the big question is whether or not israel over the next day or two will expand its area of operation. we're hearing two different things that israel will sort of stay in the areas continuing to work on the tunnels and disarming the rocket launching sites they already have in their sort of area of operation. but one israeli official saying they're going to expand, escalate and move out into new areas here in gaza. could potentially eric, get much more violent here. >> conor, thank you. and as conflict continues, israel is now sg the u.s. for more than $200 million of aid to fund the military's iron dome missile system. fox's own leland vittert is standing by in washington with the details. >> reporter: eric, they say all politics are local. this is a case where republicans are at least saying politics is now affecting american foreign policy and a key ally.

for the past few weeks we've been talking about the iron dome, that's israel's rocket defense system, that has intercepted a vast majority of hamas' rockets and saved countless lives. essentially a joint u.s.-israel project with u.s. providing a lot of the funding and those interceptor missiles cost tens of thousands of dollars a pop. israel of course has used a lot of them lately, and they ask the u.s. for $200 million plus in emergency funding to make more interceptors. in the senate democrats tried to tie the funding to the controversial border bill. >> the border vote that harry reid has teed up is designed to be voted down. he knows it's going to be voted down. so they've attached the iron dome funding to it because they want to play partisan politics. and pretend that the republicans who are not going to support a border bill that doesn't solve the problem are somehow opposed to funding for iron dome. >> reporter: now, the democratic senator who made the move is

senator barbara mccull ski of maryland. she gave an impassioned speech on the senate floor about the need for iron dome and its funding. this begs a very simple question, if the funding is so important to defend an ally, why tie it to such a controversial bill? a couple senate sources have told us the idea didn't start with senate democrats but actually started in the white house. eric, we have reached out to the white house for their comment. back to you. >> thank you, leland. here with reaction major general bob scales. general, thanks for joining us. so the news has been the cease-fire was rejected by israel. there is allegedly going to be -- tomorrow morning there's going to be another attempt at it through france with u.s., britain, italy, turkey and qatar joining those talks. in the meantime we've heard israel may be stepping up its offensive in the gaza strip. tell us about what needs to happen tomorrow morning. >> well, i think first of all what's going to happen is israel from a military perspective has

got to hold the groupd that they've taken. so whatever they decide on in terms of a cease-fire, the absolute precondition has to be the ability of the idea of to hold on to the gains that they've made in gaza. why is that, eric? because if they give that up, if they move out of gaza, demi demilitarize it as hamas wants, hamas is going to reoccupy that territory all over again. and they've already fought over that ground. so they know where the weak points and the strong points are. and they're going to -- and idf will have to fight their way all the way back to the starting line before they can continue to move south to discover those tunnels and destroy those rockets, eric. >> general, the first cease-fire was proposed by the arab league by an arab nation and hamas said no. >> right. >> the next one was a u.s.-offered cease-fire proposal and israel said no. is there any hope for peace in this region? >> in the short-term, no. i just think these are two sides

that are locked in a deadly battle, eric. this contest goes back 2,000 years. hamas is a terrorist organization. they've turned gaza into an armed camp. their sole purpose in life is not to seek peace but to destroy israel. and as long as hamas is in charge, and as long as the poor palestinians become basically human shields for hamas, and as long as hamas continues to be resupplied with money from gutter and rockets from iran, then the idf sadly maybe in a year or two, maybe longer, is going to have to come back and do this all over again. >> general, israel's asked the united states for several hundred million dollars in assistance, military assistance. your thoughts on that. >> well, let me tell you, i want our viewers to understand that israel is not wasting these missiles. there are about $40,000 a piece, but israel has been very judicious in the use of these

missiles. they probably shoot down maybe one in 15 or one in 20 rockets that are fired at them because they have an acquisition radar that's very, very capable. and it can pick out the landing point literally at the launching point. so they're not asking for anything that's extraordinary or unreasonable. they have to restock their supply of iron dome missiles because if this conflict lasts, say days, if not weeks, there's a good chance that they're going to just simply run out of ammunition. >> general, i literally only have 60 seconds. could you weigh in on the latest news, the country russia, has moved assets to the border with ukraine. your thoughts on that? >> eric, it's a game changer. remember, now, this is russia firing rockets into a sovereign state, the first time that's happened in eastern europe since 1939. and, oh, by the way, they're moving two 20-millimeter rocket launchers into the ukraine. these are horribly destructive weapons, a range of 20 miles, a killing area of kilometers.

this could change the whole equation, eric. >> in a word is vladimir putin that crazy to do something like this? >> he's smart and crazy and cunning. and he knows how to play us. >> i'm going to leave it there. general bob scales, thank you very much. coming up on this busy night on "hannity" as chaos erupts around the globe and president obama appears to take a backseat, senator rand paul is here to explain what he would do if he was the current commander in chief. and later, pollster frank lunts sat down with a group of voters to see what a group of americans think of president obama's leadership. that and more. don't go anywhere. who's more excited about back to school savings at staples? the ladies? these guys? or these guys? when you get guaranteed low prices on everything you buy the most, everybody gets excited! staples. make more happen for less.

osteo bi-flex® with joint shield™ nurtures and helps defend your joints° so you can keep doing what you love. what'd you guys do today? the usual! the usual! [ male announcer ] osteo bi-flex, ready for action.

welcome back to "hannity." political analysts and pundits alike think kentucky senator rand paul might be throwing his hat in the ring come 2016 to become the next commander in chief. would he stand up to russian president vladimir putin and tell the israeli people that they have a right to defend themselves against hamas? well, here to answer those questions is none other than the man himself, kentucky senator rand paul. he joins us tonight from cincinnati where earlier today he addressed the national urban league. we'll have highlights of those remarks in just a moment. senator, welcome. thank you for joining us. senator, there's a lot of news today coming out of the israel-gaza conflict. one of them that the senator john kerry -- secretary of state john kerry's cease-fire proposal has been rejected by israel. another one being that the french have said we have to have an emergency meeting tomorrow, saturday morning, u.s., britain,

italy, qatar will all attend, turkey. where would you stand in your point of view? >> you know, i think israel has the right to defend themselves. the attacks have been initiated by gaza. the attacks are also initiated by missiles that are being defended by civilians. so they're attacking israel within the midst of missiles that have been in schools, missiles that are launched from civilian areas. and so really all that's a tragedy, but really israel has a right to defend themselves. and i frankly don't think it's the role of america to tell israel what they can or can't do with regard to defending herself. >> so do you think secretary of state kerry's proposal helped, or added fuel to the fire so to speak? >> you know, i think there's a role for america to try to be a facilitator of peace, to try to find a cease-fire. but really they need to find something acceptable to both but also doesn't involve america basically telling israel to do

anything that would be dill tier yous to their events. so i think about it this way. if in washington, d.c. someone in baltimore were lobbing missiles into washington, d.c., would we have the right to defend ourselves? absolutely. and it's also difficult when you have people attacking you that are attacking you with missiles that really are intermingled with the civilian population. so it's a very difficult situation, but israel does have the right to defend themselves. >> so, senator, israel's asked some financial support with their iron dome system. is that a good idea to send them additional aid? >> yeah. i've seen the iron dome system firsthand. i've seen the video response where you see the missiles being, you know, blocked. and cities saved from these missiles. yeah, i think it's a good joint effort. in fact, i've gone a step farther. i think the iron dome might be usable within the united states and we should continue to develop missile defense systems. they say this is more for short range missiles, but essentially on 9/11 we were attacked with

short range missiles posing as airplanes. so i think there probably is a need for some kind of defense for our cities and that working in conjunction with israel and iron dome is a good idea. >> okay, senator, also one of the conflicts brewing right now, the russia-ukraine conflict. we heard late this afternoon that russia, the country, was pushing some military assets to the border, maybe some missiles. what about helping out the ukrainian people? would you send them some missile defense systems? >> you know, i've been in favor of helping the ukrainians with arms and/or monetary support. i also think though that in order to have a unified front to really stare down putin on this, it would be very helpful to have the european union involved. i think we've done sanctions, you know, on individuals in russia, but we well could do sanctions on russia as a country. but they only really work if european union gets involved. about 8% of russia's trade is with the united states. but about 55% of russia's trade

is with europe. so europe needs to step up. this also means we need leadership in america. we need a president who can call, you know, the chancellor of germany and have a good relation. the fact that we haven't had such good relations with the chancellor of germany makes it harder for america to be a leader and work in conjunction with europe on this. but absolutely for this to have any effect to stare down putin at all on these things, needs to be a unified message from the free world. >> but, senator, what if it's not? what if eu says no, germany says no, too much of our oil, say we don't want to play. does america step up and say we'll step up with some severe sanctions, which we could do with the oil sector. >> yeah, i think we do. i'm just saying they'll have more effect if we have partners in this. same way with sanctions on iran. i'm for sanctions on iran with or without europe, but they have more effect with europe being involved. and so i think that, yes, we do

step up. and, yes, we do and should try to help the ukrainians defend themselves. >> all right. senator, we have a lot more. stick around. coming up with rand paul right after the break. and remember this, surveillance footage of baltimore ravens running back ray rice dragging his now-wife out of the elevator. the nfl handed down its punishment and some are calling it a slap on the wrist. we'll explain why. stick around. ♪ [ cat meows ] ♪ ♪ da-da-da-da-da, bum-da, bum-da ♪ ♪ bum-da, bum-da ♪ the animals went in two by two ♪ ♪ the sheep and the frog and the kangaroo ♪ ♪ and they all went marching, marching in two by two ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] the nissan pathfinder, with intuitive four-wheel drive. an adventure worth sharing. nissan. innovation that excites.

even at a distance of sharing. 10 miles... the length of 146 football fields. they can see the light of a single candle. your eyes are amazing. look after them with centrum silver. multivitamins to help support your eyes, heart and brain. centrum silver. for the most amazing parts of you. now, with a new easy to swallow coating.

machines will be sprayed to be made. and making something stronger... will mean making it lighter. one day, factories will work with the cloud. one day... is today. welcome back to "hannity." yesterday president obama wrapped up a three-day fund raising event on the east coast where he used his speeches to attack american corporations saying not paying -- is like renouncing their citizenship. >> even as corporate profits are higher than ever, there's a

small but during group of big corporations that are fleeing the country to get out of paying taxes. they're keeping usually their headquarters here in the u.s. they don't want to give up the best universities and the best military and all the advantages of operating in the united states. they just don't want to pay for it. so they're technically renouncing their u.s. citizenship. they're declaring their base some place else even though most of their operations are here. you know, some people are calling these companies corporate deserters. >> but that's not the only absurd statement president obama made recently. take a look at this economic prediction he made on cnbc yesterday. >> you know, i am always bullish about america over the long-term. and if you think about where we were say when i came into office and where we are now, it's pretty hard to find an economic measure we're not significantly better off. >> i'm sorry, mr. president, but according to a fox news poll 60%

of americans disagree saying they are not satisfied with the way things are going in the country today. still with me is kentucky senator rand paul. senator, we can see in the background you're in cincinnati. you spoke to the urban league. tell us, why did you speak there? >> well, you know, because i wanted people to know and everyone to know the country know, that republicans are going to compete for african-american votes, that we have a lot to say on issues of poverty and unemployment. you know, the president says all the economic indicators are looking good and things are looking up. well, black unemployment is still twice white unemployment. and i know his heart's in the right place, but his policies are in the wrong place. his policies aren't working. he talks about wanting to punish corporations. well, corporations provide a lot of jobs. they create a lot of jobs. i called the president this week. and i said do you want that money to come home? do you want less companies to go overseas with their money? i said if we lower the tax rate, that money will come home. interestingly the president in 2005 when we voted for a lower tax rate on corporations, he did

vote for it. and over $300 billion came home. we could do it again. i asked the president for his help. i have an amendment that would temporarily lower the tax rate again to try to encourage companies to bring their money home. and i asked him for his help. >> so, senator, let me -- we have a piece of sound if we can play that first. >> as a physician i was trained to diagnose the problem and find a solution. not worry about which party it came from. as a legislator i try to do the same. my hope is that each of you will work with me to find solutions that aren't hung up in partisan politics and that together we might rise above a dysfunctional congress and do what's right for the country. >> the reason why i wanted to play that, senator, democrats criticize the gop for not engaging the african-american vote, yet you'll go to the urban league and get criticized for

doing that. what gives? >> well, i think they're starting to worry, to tell you the truth. everywhere i go most african-american voters are saying, you know what, they're happy to see republicans compete for their vote because they haven't seen the democrats in their district. they haven't seen the democrats coming home and talking to them. they haven't seen the democrats coming up with any solution. for example, i've been to detroit, and i have a plan to bring $1.3 billion or leave $1.3 billion in detroit by lowering their taxes. i've seen no democrat plan to help detroit. so, frankly, i want to compete for the african-american vote by saying, you know what, republicans have policies to help with poverty, to help with long-term unemployment. and we're going to be there and we're going to let you know that we do have real policies. >> you know who else is worried, senator? senior white house advisor dan fifer's worried, a comment he made today, i think one of the most intriguing candidates is senator paul. i think he has a message.

he's the only republican who has articulated a message that is potentially appealing to younger americans. were you surprised to hear that? and does that say you are the front runner that they're watching out for? >> i don't know about that. but what i do say is that issues of privacy, reigning in the nsa, it's popular for all young people whether they think they're a republican, democrat or independent. young people don't want the government eavesdropping on their phone. they don't want them recording their metadata or any information without a warrant, without probable cause. so, yeah, that appeals to a great cross section of people that really could help swing the vote back the republican way. but i also want to compete for the african-american vote, for the hispanic vote by saying, you know what, we are the party that is for more people voting. we are the party of voting rights and civil rights. and i think if we take our message to these different audiences and show up, i think i was the first republican to show up at the urban league in years. if we will show up with that

message, i think we can compete for votes. and people are going to be shocked at how many african-americans say, you know what, democrat party's taking me for granted. and i'm open to new messages if there's something that that party's going to do for my community. >> senator, are they responding to your gop message? or are they responding to specifically your libertarian bend on the gop message? >> a little bit of both. i think the criminal war, the criminal justice, you know, the war on drugs, has had a racial outcome. it's disproportionately imprisoned african-americans and hispanics. i want to change that. i'm willing to work with people on the other side. i'm willing to work with cory booker to try to reform our drug laws so people don't get trapped into this cycle of poverty incarceration. i'm actually willing to work with harry reid. we don't always agree with everything or on everything, but i'm willing to work with him. that if you've served your time, you're out of prison, to get you back in society, restore your right to vote and restore your right or your opportunity to try

to get a job again. >> i can't imagine they're pointing fingers at you now for not reaching out to the african-american vote. was president obama there by the way? >> no, i didn't see him. vice president biden was here. but i think really that there are many things -- you look at education, what's the great equalizer in our society? it's educational opportunity. the democrats have really been beholden to the status quo where you see republicans like myself saying, you know what, the money should go to the kids. let the kids choose what school to go to, don't send it to the school districts. let the kids choose. i met a young man today said i was sent to a failing school. if the money had been mine, if i had a voucher or school choice, i could have taken to the school of my choice and gotten a better education. >> senator, we're going to have to leave it there. senator, thank you for joining us from cincinnati, the urban league. coming up, we remember this video of baltimore ravens ray rice dragging his unconscious girlfriend out of an elevator.

he's finally been dealt his punishment and let's just say it's not all that harsh. we'll have that and more. and frank lunts is back with us with his focus group. this time it's all about what average americans think about president obama and his leadership skills, or lack thereof. ♪ ♪ start a team.

join a team. walk to end alzheimer's. visit alz.org/walk today. >> test >> test >> test >> test >> test >> >> test >> test bhap

we never thought we'd be farming wind out here. it's not just building jobs here, it's helping our community. siemens location here has just received a major order of wind turbines. it puts a huge smile on my face. cause i'm like, 'this is what we do.' the fact that iowa is leading the way in wind energy, i'm so proud, like, it's just amazing. then boom... what happened? stress, fun, bad habits kids, now what? let's build a new, smarter bed using the dualair chambers to sense your movement, heartbeat, breathing. introducing the sleep number bed with sleepiqtm technology. it tracks your sleep and tells you how to adjust for a good, better and an awesome night. the difference?

try adjusting up or down. you'll know cuz sleep iq™ tells you. only at a sleep number store, mattresses with sleepiq start at just $999.98. know better sleep with sleep number. we're changing the way we do business, with startup ny. we've created tax free zones throughout the state. and startup ny companies will be investing hundreds of millions of dollars in jobs and infrastructure. thanks to startup ny, businesses can operate tax free for 10 years. no property tax. no business tax. and no sales tax. which means more growth for your business, and more jobs. it's not just business as usual. see how new york can help your business grow, at startup.ny.gov

while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, this can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain, and improve daily physical function so moving is easier. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain. and it's not a narcotic you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, like celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions, or stomach and intestine problems,

such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. don't take celebrex if you have bleeding in the stomach or intestine, or had an asthma attack, hives, other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history. and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. welcome back to "hannity." running back ray announced rice will be suspended for the first two games of the 2014 season. decision comes after this video surfaced of rice dragging his then-fiancee out of an atlantic city hotel elevator in february. the star player was arrested following this incident and later indicted on aggravated assault charges. the league says the suspension is the result of rice violating

its personnel conduct policy. is two games enough or should a greater penalty have been handed down? fox news senior correspondent geraldo rivera and former miss america. before i get to you guys, news came out earlier this afternoon. check out steven na smith and what he had to say about this incident. watch. >> we keep talking about the guys. we know you have no business putting your hands on a woman. i don't know how many times i got to reiterate that. but what i've tried to employ the female members of my family, some of whom you all met and talked to and what have you is that, again, this is what i've done this all my life. let's make sure we don't do anything to provoke wrong actions because if i come, or somebody else come, whether it's law enforcement officials, your brother or the fellas that you know, if we come after somebody has put their hands on you, it

doesn't negate the fact they already put their hands on you. so let's try to make sure we can do our part in making sure that that doesn't happen. >> her fault. kiers ten, want to have this one? >> i find it hard to believe that the person who is abused is the person doing the abuse. it's no excuse for a man to ever hit a woman. it's never the woman's fault in that case. i just can't believe that we still have to clarify this. >> i'm stunned that steven asmith would go for that. >> it's 19th century. it really is. i was telling bill in the green room, i remember telling my ex-wife knock my front tooth out. how did i react? i went looking for my tooth on the floor. i mean i had it coming, i

probably did. the point i had it coming -- first of all, he is absolutely wrong about that. but look at jameis winston. he allegedly date rape somebody, they don't even investigate the date rape because they give the guy a pass because he's a great football player and they want to win the national championship and the heisman trophy. they devalue the worth of women because they extol the virtue of these -- >> here's a commentator on espn. and boy if he didn't just say exactly what everyone thought someone defending athletes on espn would say. did he step into it? >> like again, they get protected all the time, these athletes. and you know what? when you assault a woman, or even when a woman assaults a man, like you said, the person committing the assault is the person that is -- you're guilty of the crime. point is myself, i've been

assaulted by a woman, slapped in the face, but i know as a man one thing. i don't put my hands back on a lady. and i'll tell you right now, as far as when i'm concerned whep this guy knocked her out and dragged her out of there, that was appalling to me as a man. how does a man with that strength openly punch a woman and knock her out? >> that's inexcusable. >> by the way, that was only a two-game suspension for dragging his then-fiancee now wife out of that elevator. it was unbelievable. all right. let's move on to the next one. howard stern, always been a huge fan of howard stern. i'm now an even bigger fan. listen. >> you're at no fault. >> [ bleep ]. >> i don't want to hear any anti-semitism today. jews are the indigenous people of that area. [ bleep ]. if you're antiisrael, you're anti-america. it's the only democracy over there. it's the only friend we have who's willing to fight and stand

up for what's right. the palestinians are mad at the israelis. instead of being mad at the terrorists running their so-called country, who are raping the country, taking all the aid the united states actually gives to them. that they're not angry with. they're angry with israel. they're in the same region, in the same exact spot and their median income is $2,000. and the median income in israel is $30,000. and they're mad at israel for that. it's a miserable life to live in a palestinian country. you're living there with a bunch -- they elected terrorists to run their country. >> so, geraldo, howard stern really nails the head on the head with that hammer. >> i love howard stern, i love you, eric, but those are dead palestinian babies on the stretcher and they were killed by israeli artillery shells. if you think that's good for the jews or israel, i think you're whistling in the dark. >> back that up now. they were hiding missiles in

that school. >> i totally get that. hamas has blood on their hands. it is israeli missiles and bombs killing the children. almost 900 now, 700 civilians. >> so you're going to blame israel, not hamas for those children? >> well, you know what, i listen to geraldo on his radio show every day. his point of view has two sides to it. i'm a strong israel defender. >> so am i. i have a jewish star tattooed on my -- >> i'm going to be have been honest with you, you do have dead children. with boston, philly, missiles coming in, you have to hide under your bed in ten seconds i think the people would be outraged. john kerry's bouncing around there, where is the money going for these weapons? where is it coming from? qatar. that lit m country qatar. who's supplying the weaponry? that's the ones we should be going after because these poor people in that area there, the west bank and all that area, they're in poverty to the end. >> let me get kiers ten in here.

the u.s. has provided aid to the palestinian authority, a known terrorist organization, is it time to pull back that aid? >> that's the question everyone is asking because of the fact we have 50% unemployment in gaza. i mean, the people there -- this is a political conversation that we should be having because the conditions there are bleak. and it's definitely, i mean, something that i don't think anyone has a really easy answer to provide. but it is the casualties on both sides are tragic. the loss is tragic. and we need to do everything we can, unfortunately what just happened with israelis rejects the cease-fire, we need to do anything and every we can. >> great time with you guys. thank you very much. coming up, things got heated when frank luntz sat down with some average americans to find out what they think about president obama and his leadership skills. that and more as "hannity" continues. stick around. [ female announcer ] we help make secure financial tomorrows a reality for over 19 million people.

[ mom ] with life insurance, we're not just insuring our lives... we're helping protect his. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. transamerica. transform tomorrow. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] if you can't stand the heat, get off the test track. get the mercedes-benz you've been burning for at the summer event, going on now at your authorized mercedes-benz dealer. but hurry, offers end july 31st. share your summer moments in your mercedes-benz with us.

and cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure.

do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial.

welcome back to "hannity." as chaos erupts around the globe and as illegal immigrants continue to pour over our southern border, president obama appears to be sitting on the sidelines as all of this unfolds in front of us. so we wanted to know what do you, the american taxpayer,

think of our commander in chief and his leadership skills. pollster frank luntz recently spoke with a focus group of voters from both sides of the aisle and asked them that very question. >> if you examine most of the recent polls, barack obama is at or near his all-time low in terms of favorability and job approval. the question is why. so the first thing i want to say to you all, i just want to ask you, how many of you voted for barack obama in either 2008 or 2012? raise your hand. okay, clear majority here. how many of you are happy with that vote? who's not? who voted for him and disappointed? i got to ask you, tell me why. >> in my lifetime i've studied presidents and i recognize the fact that we have had some great presidents. lyndon johnson, ronald reagan, bill clinton, barack obama does not meet the level of those leaders. he has failed economically. i think he's failed foreign policy wise.

and i think a lot has to do with his style of leadership and his cabinet and his advisors. >> steve, you voted for him? >> i did not vote for him. and i feel that he has done a terrible job as president. he has no foreign policy, has no domestic policy, has no economic policy. he's lied to the american people time and again. >> lied? >> lied. absolutely lied. >> that's a strong word. >> very strong word. he's lied about obamacare. he's lied about benghazi. and several other issues. >> so is it appropriate for us to accuse the president of being a liar? >> he has not lied about any of those things. first of all i disagree with both of these gentlemen. i felt this way from the very beginning, considering the circumstances which he took the office and other things that was piled on his desk, i think right now he's doing an excellent job. and i think that a lot of the problems, i think that barack obama is a steady eddy. he's keeping the country out of war. he's keeping the economy stable. >> okay, i got to ask you because you're giving me this

pain look. >> in my lifetime this is the worst president. he has no leadership. he's reactive. he's not proactive. he's detached from every issue. he doesn't get down and dirty. all you have too look is any of it, obamacare, the way that was rolled out was awful. >> let's bring obamacare was aw. >> let's bring back george bush. >> i didn't say -- >> george bush? george bush? george bush lied about the iraq war. he lied he lied. barack obama is getting us out of a mess, cleaning up george bush's mess. george bush? >> whenever george -- >> take it down. >> all of his -- >> he cannot clean this in ten year, 12 years, this takes time he's prepping the next president. >> six years already. how long are we going to wait? >> i guarantee this. i'll say this. the next president will be able

to take credit for the stuff barack obama did. >> what has he does? >> keeping the country out of war. >> welcome to the facts. the va hospital is a scam >> the va hospital started way before obama. >> we haven't heard the word congress. we talk about the president that is not a king. the president needs the congress to operate the first day he came into office he said we're done. we're not moving the goalpost. we're cutting it down. >> one at a time. right here. >> think -- >> both houses of congress could have done all sorts of things he did nothing. he's not a leader, he is a follower. >> he will go down in history for creating the first health care system that works maybe not now. >> it doesn't work. >> obama said i have a phone and a pen, he doesn't need congress because he can do whaefr wants

to do. >> because they're not doing anything. >> there is no question there is a problem with congress. congress has not worked for the american people in decades. it's time toñi change congress vote independents in. >> republicans are stopping obama from hurting this country. that is why they're not letting him do things that are detrimental to this country. >> every american wants obama to be a leader and help america move forward. i was optimistic. i see his inability to run the political system we have. >> i agree. >> when reagan took over, under the mess of carter it took three years but he solved it clinton took two years and solved it. >> this president wrote a book and told us what he was going to do. transform, change america not to my liking. i have really never seen such a failure in my lifetime. >> i have question for you

i need to know the answer. this started off as a civil conversation. one of you mentioned george bush, it deteriorated into yankees versus the mets. what is it about this we stop being civil and start yelling at each other because it was just like that. can you explain it? >> obama created more problems than bush created >> you keep going back to bush. let's focus on now and the future. if a ceo messes up, you can't keep blaming the old one. >> i just want to make the point with viewers at home. when abraham lincoln became president there were five months between the election and when he took office in that time, seven states succeeded from the union.

at no time did he blame james buchanan for that. >> coming up, more "hannity" right after the break. stay with us. @" (son) oh no...

can you fix it, dad? yeah, i can fix that. (dad) i wanted a car that could handle anything. i fixed it! (dad) that's why i got a subaru legacy. (vo) symmetrical all-wheel drive plus 36 mpg. i gotta break more toys. (vo) introducing the all-new subaru legacy. it's not just a sedan. it's a subaru.

>> welcome back, i've been known to call the president's plan more of a socialist nightmare than a capitolist's dream they call me all kinds of nasty names, yesterday sh i didn't have to call him a socialist. he did it himself watch. >> we need to stop companies to renounce their citizenship just to get out of paying their taxes i'm interested in economic patriotism. >> fair share and taxes? for more, check out my morning

show. we don't hold back. that is all we have time for. have a great weekend, everybody. "o'reilly factor" is on tonight. it's a very special watters world of the factor. how much do americans know about the country? >> who did americans fight in the revolutionary war? >> the french. >> truman bomb. do you remember that? [ bleep ]. >> what do they know about our founding fathers? >> what's a founding father. watters as spring break. >> i don't know why you are looking at me. >> has college liberalism out of control? >> i had a professor call himself the most liberal you ll