Sean Hannity sank deeper into his pit of unhinged hate mongering this Tuesday night as he repeatedly suggested that Donald Trump opponents are dangerous enemies of the country. Every American should find it alarming.
During a monologue that lasted more than 11 minutes, Hannity repeatedly suggested that opponents of Trump are a threat that needs to be dealt with (transcript via FoxNews.com):
Hannity: Tonight, a soft coup is under way right here in the United States of America in an attempt to overturn November’s election results and forcibly remove a duly elected president from office, sinister forces quickly aligning in what is becoming now, in my mind, a clear and present danger.
In concert with his message, a large graphic blared at times, "CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER."
Hannity went on to rail against the “Destroy Trump Media” and the other usual foes. If you’re a regular Hannity watcher, you’ve heard those bits before. Many, many times:
(Images via NewsHound Richard)
But while it's tempting to laugh at Hannity as a broken record, there is nothing comical about how he reiterated his “clear and present danger” rhetoric:
HANNITY: And you, the American people, you’re the ones suffering because these forces are slowing down what you voted for. A president enacting the agenda he promised, means fewer jobs, less economic growth, no border wall, no tax reform, no repealing, replacing ObamaCare, no getting people out of poverty, off of food stamps, back in the labor force, buying homes at a 51-year low.
The longer these attacks continue, the longer it will take for you, the American people, to benefit from what from what you voted for, the president’s policies and agenda. And all of this is now creating a very clear, present danger to the country. The left is suffering well beyond Trump derangement syndrome. It’s completely unhinged.
Look at how vile some of their rhetoric has been.
Of course, Hannity didn’t play his former colleague Andrea Tantaros urging her radio listeners to “do me a favor” and punch an Obama supporter “in the face.” Which did not get her fired from Fox News.
Apparently, Donald Trump fostering actual violence doesn't count, either.
Nor the explicit approval of violence, spoken on Fox News and Fox Business, against anti-Trump protesters by Fox fave Sheriff David Clarke.
Hannity also conveniently “forgot” all the times, with similarly couched language, he suggested Cliven Bundy and supporters should become violent toward federal law enforcers.
And if anyone would know about efforts to take down a president, it would be Hannity. He enthusiastically promoted Donald Trump's bogus birther attacks on President Barack Obama (and claimed otherwise).
But really, this goes beyond hypocrisy. Hannity is deliberately fomenting hostility and he’s using inflammatory language to do so.
Hannity pretended he was merely urging viewers to become civically engaged:
HANNITY: If you’re sick and tired of it, I think you should let your congressmen and women know. I think you should look at the media tonight and ask, Are they telling you the truth anymore?
But his very next comments all but declared that viewers have no choice but to take the law into their own hands:
HANNITY: We’re at a turning point. You, the American people, have a profound choice to make here. You can let this continue to happen, watch the country descend into chaos, you can sit back, or you can stand up and fight for what you voted for back in November and the agenda that you want implemented in this country.
Shame on Fox News for tolerating it.
Watch this Hannity go right up to the edge of calling for violence above, from the June 20, 2017 Hannity:
Crossposted at News Hounds.
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