Fox News "Hannity" - Transcript Interview with John Kennedy

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Here with reaction, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy.

I've been reading a lot what's been happening in Europe, but I'm not a doctor. What are your thoughts?

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY, R-LA., SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MEMBER: America is going through a rough patch right now, Sean. Some people seem to be enjoying it. Maybe they just hate America. They be they just enjoy watching the world burn.

I think some are -- are liking the chaos because they think it gives them a political advantage. Part of that chaos is being caused by our school closing. For our kids, we need to open them. I can promise you for many of our kids, keeping these schools closed is going to hurt them far worse than the coronavirus can.

France, Germany --

HANNITY: Go ahead, sir.

KENNEDY: -- Denmark, Austria, Vietnam, even Vietnam has opened their schools. And they have done it safely and we can too and we should too.

And if I can say one other thing -- I know some people in good faith disagree with me and I respect that. Let's have the debate. But there are some people who want to keep our schools closed because they think it gives them a political advantage. And they are using our kids as political pawns.

And to them I say, unashamedly, they can kiss my ass. That's wrong to do that the kids of America. Not the people in good faith, but those who are enjoying the chaos because they think it's going to help them in November.

HANNITY: Well, there's a lot -- and I make the distinction. For example, there are honest people that are protesting, you know, real injustice, for example, in the case of George Floyd. But then the group we know, Black Lives Matter, well, we have some leaders on tape saying atrocious things, like, you know, what do we want? Dead cops. And when we want them? Now.

How do you think this plays out? Because to me, defunding the police is real. Biden now joining the New Green Deal and plagiarizing Bernie Sanders' extreme socialist agenda, the police are the enemy of the -- now become the enemy of the people and defunding and reallocating he supports. I would think safety and security has got to be a top issue now.

KENNEDY: Well, I think education and opening our schools is a perfect example. There are some Americans who think it's unsafe. I disagree with them but I'm willing to have that debate. We can talk about how many, many other countries have done it safely.

But I'm convinced there are not a substantial minority of people who just like to see our schools closed because it creates more chaos that gives them a political advantage in November. And a pox on their houses, man. You don't -- you shouldn't politicize our children.

For many of our kids in America, our schools are the only stable things in their lives. And these people, the cynical people who are using this for political fodder -- man, they have no soul. You know, to use our kids like this.

Now, that's not everybody. Both those who are using it for political gain - - well, I said when I felt about them.

HANNITY: All right. Thank you, Senator. We really appreciate it.

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