Fox News: Charles Krauthammer, Pulitzer Prize Winner and Longtime Fox News Contributor, Dead at 68

RUSH TRANSCRIPT And we ░░░░░░░░ some sad news to ░░░░░░░░ to you tonight Long ░░░░░░░░ syndicated columnist and Fox ░░░░░░░░ contributor Charles Krauthammer has ░░░░░░░░ away We told you ░░░░░░░░ that Charles had announced ░░░░░░░░ he only had weeks ░░░░░░░░ live after a long ░░░░░░░░ with cancer Charles was ░░░░░░░░ years old Takes a ░░░░░░░░ back now at an ░░░░░░░░ life It s my ░░░░░░░░ to call a folly ░░░░░░░░ folly Charles Krauthammer columnist ░░░░░░░░ and Fox News commentator ░░░░░░░░ his life telling others ░░░░░░░░ what he thought You ░░░░░░░░ betraying your whole life ░░░░░░░░ you don t say ░░░░░░░░ you think and you ░░░░░░░░ t say it honestly ░░░░░░░░ bluntly Bret It was ░░░░░░░░ quality that brought Charles ░░░░░░░░ Fox News channel during ░░░░░░░░ Hume s term as ░░░░░░░░ This is not a ░░░░░░░░ TV star In fact ░░░░░░░░ became a huge star ░░░░░░░░ almost I will say ░░░░░░░░ mega star on this ░░░░░░░░ It was the shear ░░░░░░░░ of his intellect and ░░░░░░░░ of his thinking On ░░░░░░░░ of that there was ░░░░░░░░ gentleness about him personally ░░░░░░░░ if he disagreed with ░░░░░░░░ you know you never ░░░░░░░░ attacked He just disagreed ░░░░░░░░ you Always unspoken on ░░░░░░░░ panel that he was ░░░░░░░░ the leader because of ░░░░░░░░ delivery his intellect Bret ░░░░░░░░ report stage manager Mary ░░░░░░░░ was on set with ░░░░░░░░ every night for years ░░░░░░░░ was kind of an ░░░░░░░░ joke on the panel ░░░░░░░░ Bret Baier has a ░░░░░░░░ when people need to ░░░░░░░░ up Like in 30 ░░░░░░░░ puts his arm out ░░░░░░░░ Charles is on the ░░░░░░░░ forever And we always ░░░░░░░░ that I don t ░░░░░░░░ he paid attention to ░░░░░░░░ once If he had ░░░░░░░░ to say he was ░░░░░░░░ to say it no ░░░░░░░░ constraints were going to ░░░░░░░░ him on that Bret ░░░░░░░░ in 1950s New York ░░░░░░░░ Jewish parents left World ░░░░░░░░ II era Europe Charles ░░░░░░░░ raised him to pursuit ░░░░░░░░ knowledge His motto is ░░░░░░░░ want you to learn ░░░░░░░░ You don t have ░░░░░░░░ do everything You have ░░░░░░░░ to know everything He ░░░░░░░░ that was part of ░░░░░░░░ Bret The family lived ░░░░░░░░ Montreal and summered at ░░░░░░░░ in New York It ░░░░░░░░ a childhood My brother ░░░░░░░░ I were inseparable He ░░░░░░░░ insisted I be included ░░░░░░░░ got used to be ░░░░░░░░ the big boys and ░░░░░░░░ the slings and arrows ░░░░░░░░ that s how you ░░░░░░░░ toughened up Bret As ░░░░░░░░ senior in Canada he ░░░░░░░░ captivated by political journalism ░░░░░░░░ applied to medical school ░░░░░░░░ appease his family and ░░░░░░░░ accepted to Harvard But ░░░░░░░░ put off attending and ░░░░░░░░ at Oxford instead It ░░░░░░░░ there that he met ░░░░░░░░ student from Australia Robin ░░░░░░░░ who would later become ░░░░░░░░ wife Charles reversed course ░░░░░░░░ headed back to the ░░░░░░░░ S To attend Harvard ░░░░░░░░ did you choose psychiatry ░░░░░░░░ was looking for something ░░░░░░░░ between the reality of ░░░░░░░░ and the elegance if ░░░░░░░░ like of philosophy So ░░░░░░░░ was the obvious thing ░░░░░░░░ It was there that ░░░░░░░░ diving accident It hit ░░░░░░░░ the one angle where ░░░░░░░░ out force one spot ░░░░░░░░ is the cervical vertebrae ░░░░░░░░ severed the spinal cord ░░░░░░░░ When did you realize ░░░░░░░░ accident was life altering ░░░░░░░░ second it happened Bret ░░░░░░░░ his patrol cyst he ░░░░░░░░ professors and classmates by ░░░░░░░░ on time near the ░░░░░░░░ of his class Ultimately ░░░░░░░░ decided the field wasn ░░░░░░░░ for him A career ░░░░░░░░ he joked about on ░░░░░░░░ decades later I m ░░░░░░░░ psychiatrist in remission Laughter ░░░░░░░░ very well I haven ░░░░░░░░ had a relapse in ░░░░░░░░ years Bret In 1978 ░░░░░░░░ headed to Washington D ░░░░░░░░ For a government job ░░░░░░░░ thought once I m ░░░░░░░░ Washington isn t that ░░░░░░░░ they do politics One ░░░░░░░░ will lead to another ░░░░░░░░ Robin encouraged him to ░░░░░░░░ his dreams and he ░░░░░░░░ landed at the left ░░░░░░░░ new republic magazine just ░░░░░░░░ the Reagan Administration took ░░░░░░░░ So help me god ░░░░░░░░ Krauthammer found himself agreeing ░░░░░░░░ the new president and ░░░░░░░░ his own feelings about ░░░░░░░░ Democratic Party I ended ░░░░░░░░ supporting just about every ░░░░░░░░ of the Reagan foreign ░░░░░░░░ Bret Months after Reagan ░░░░░░░░ re election krauthammer penned ░░░░░░░░ phrase the Reagan doctrine ░░░░░░░░ a provocative Time magazine ░░░░░░░░ and the name stuck ░░░░░░░░ created the Reagan doctrine ░░░░░░░░ had haired of it ░░░░░░░░ of it Charles put ░░░░░░░░ a piece and dubbed ░░░░░░░░ I have read it ░░░░░░░░ many times and holds ░░░░░░░░ so well I think ░░░░░░░░ discovered then that there ░░░░░░░░ was a lot to ░░░░░░░░ Bret It would take ░░░░░░░░ before Charles fully embraced ░░░░░░░░ conservative ideals It took ░░░░░░░░ about a decade I ░░░░░░░░ skeptical of tax cuts ░░░░░░░░ was skeptical of smaller ░░░░░░░░ Then by the end ░░░░░░░░ the 80 s I ░░░░░░░░ began to change Bret ░░░░░░░░ 1985 his son Daniel ░░░░░░░░ born Two years later ░░░░░░░░ won the biggest honor ░░░░░░░░ journalism The Pulitzer Prize ░░░░░░░░ It was the events ░░░░░░░░ September 11th 2001 that ░░░░░░░░ auto more forceful tone ░░░░░░░░ his commentary and a ░░░░░░░░ spot on the Special ░░░░░░░░ panel Over the years ░░░░░░░░ became an audience favorite ░░░░░░░░ baking estherer that we ░░░░░░░░ is to lose the ░░░░░░░░ war because we refuse ░░░░░░░░ recognize who the enemy ░░░░░░░░ and what it requires ░░░░░░░░ god s sake why ░░░░░░░░ you have to talk ░░░░░░░░ that The morning is ░░░░░░░░ the chiva is done ░░░░░░░░ you are a conservative ░░░░░░░░ should be optimistic I ░░░░░░░░ it will snow in ░░░░░░░░ before the DoJ is ░░░░░░░░ to go after her ░░░░░░░░ are all were expecting ░░░░░░░░ It didn t happen ░░░░░░░░ was the dog that ░░░░░░░░ t bark Bret Despite ░░░░░░░░ of his accomplishments awards ░░░░░░░░ high profile endorsements krauthammer ░░░░░░░░ always humble and at ░░░░░░░░ uneasy with the influence ░░░░░░░░ words held I think ░░░░░░░░ it and I find ░░░░░░░░ worrisome The reason is ░░░░░░░░ when I was totally ░░░░░░░░ I could say anything ░░░░░░░░ damn well pleased Bret ░░░░░░░░ included when his opinions ░░░░░░░░ presidents Read Charles Krauthammer ░░░░░░░░ column in the post ░░░░░░░░ he is a brilliant ░░░░░░░░ You know when you ░░░░░░░░ praise from President Clinton ░░░░░░░░ you are from my ░░░░░░░░ of the aisle that ░░░░░░░░ that my career is ░░░░░░░░ I m toast Bret ░░░░░░░░ s high standards for ░░░░░░░░ leaders were bipartisan for ░░░░░░░░ Obama When I think ░░░░░░░░ has done just about ░░░░░░░░ wrong Bret To then ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump This is ░░░░░░░░ strongestfield of Republican candidates ░░░░░░░░ 35 years You could ░░░░░░░░ a dozen of them ░░░░░░░░ random and have the ░░░░░░░░ cabinet America has had ░░░░░░░░ our lifetime And instead ░░░░░░░░ our time is spent ░░░░░░░░ this rodeo clown I ░░░░░░░░ t think I have ░░░░░░░░ heard such a stream ░░░░░░░░ disconnected ideas since I ░░░░░░░░ psychiatry 30 years ago ░░░░░░░░ far as Charles Krauthammer ░░░░░░░░ m not a fan ░░░░░░░░ his I have think ░░░░░░░░ he highly overrated pundit ░░░░░░░░ he wrong on so ░░░░░░░░ things Bret Charles Krauthammer ░░░░░░░░ by the way in ░░░░░░░░ casino put his first ░░░░░░░░ on you I saw ░░░░░░░░ I couldn t believe ░░░░░░░░ thank you Charles I ░░░░░░░░ going to make you ░░░░░░░░ good Charles Bret In ░░░░░░░░ years as the Republican ░░░░░░░░ took office Charles didn ░░░░░░░░ shy away from his ░░░░░░░░ blunt unabash shadily critical ░░░░░░░░ when it came to ░░░░░░░░ Trump Presidents don t ░░░░░░░░ like this They never ░░░░░░░░ This is what it ░░░░░░░░ like when you are ░░░░░░░░ in banana republic Bret ░░░░░░░░ had other loves he ░░░░░░░░ chess and avid baseball ░░░░░░░░ I grew up playing ░░░░░░░░ game I loved to ░░░░░░░░ the game Bret Loved ░░░░░░░░ more than seeing his ░░░░░░░░ nationals play and win ░░░░░░░░ the glory You know ░░░░░░░░ the White House on ░░░░░░░░ the Congress in chaos ░░░░░░░░ the world going to ░░░░░░░░ in a hand basket ░░░░░░░░ need happy news like ░░░░░░░░ This is why god ░░░░░░░░ baseball late on the ░░░░░░░░ day Bret Friends at ░░░░░░░░ News channel remember that ░░░░░░░░ whit and Charles love ░░░░░░░░ talking to anyone Special ░░░░░░░░ has a lot of ░░░░░░░░ come in and watch ░░░░░░░░ and they were always ░░░░░░░░ awe of Charles and ░░░░░░░░ apprehensive about approaching him ░░░░░░░░ I would always say ░░░░░░░░ go say something to ░░░░░░░░ He would love to ░░░░░░░░ to you and always ░░░░░░░░ friendly to everyone Bret ░░░░░░░░ in 2013 krauthammer released ░░░░░░░░ book Things that matter ░░░░░░░░ summed up the survivor ░░░░░░░░ spirit that has guided ░░░░░░░░ of his life Writing ░░░░░░░░ The catastrophe that awaits ░░░░░░░░ from a single false ░░░░░░░░ wrong turn fatal encounter ░░░░░░░░ life has such a ░░░░░░░░ What distinguishes us is ░░░░░░░░ and how we ever ░░░░░░░░ back There is an ░░░░░░░░ of that in everybody ░░░░░░░░ story their low point ░░░░░░░░ you want it enough ░░░░░░░░ are you lucky enough ░░░░░░░░ s a part of ░░░░░░░░ too Bret In mid ░░░░░░░░ krauthammer announced that he ░░░░░░░░ been diagnosed with cancer ░░░░░░░░ doctors had given him ░░░░░░░░ weeks to live Writing ░░░░░░░░ leave this life with ░░░░░░░░ regrets It was a ░░░░░░░░ life full and complete ░░░░░░░░ the great loves and ░░░░░░░░ endeavors that make it ░░░░░░░░ living I am sad ░░░░░░░░ leave but I leave ░░░░░░░░ the knowledge that I ░░░░░░░░ the life that I ░░░░░░░░ Bret Do you think ░░░░░░░░ will ever stop writing ░░░░░░░░ I intend to die ░░░░░░░░ my desk Bret Really ░░░░░░░░ would like to I ░░░░░░░░ not sure can I ░░░░░░░░ it Bret Charles Krauthammer ░░░░░░░░ 68 years old.