Sean Hannity is taking the phrase “I don’t agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” very close to heart.
The Fox News host absolutely hammered CNN’s Jim Acosta for whining about his treatment at the hands of a pro-Trump crowd earlier this week but vowed to defend him in the unlikely event anything got out of hand.
As you’re well aware at this point, Acosta has been soaking up the attention he so desperately craves by demonizing Trump supporters after a rally in which they shouted him down with chants of ‘CNN sucks’ and ‘fake news.’
The melodramatic reporter said the response he received from the crowd was “unAmerican,” demanded the White House denounce it, and then moaned that he is “tired of this.”
The equally uneducated April Ryan, a colleague, made the ridiculous claim that Acosta’s “life … was in jeopardy.”
“Jim Acosta’s life, in my opinion, was in jeopardy … there was a safety issue.” – @AprilDRyan says President Trump has “stoked the flames” for journalists to feel like “their safety is in jeopardy, their lives are in jeopardy at these rallies.” https://t.co/nrXFcjYlMh pic.twitter.com/LTSDMOvGzh
— CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) August 2, 2018
These two really are under the impression that they’re fighting a war against common middle-class Americans who support the President.
Hannity, like the rest of America, said that while he’s tired of the “bulls***” coming out of Acosta and CNN, he’d be the first to defend him if anything physical was to happen.
Jimmy @Acosta sorry your precious feelings are hurt & that people see through your lying bullshit for what it is. FAKE NEWS. #CNNSUCKS
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) August 2, 2018
“I’m going to actually give your network some advice, if you have an open mind and an open heart, maybe a little humility,” Hannity said earlier in the week.
“The people of this country, they’re screaming at you for a reason. They don’t like your unfair, abusively biased treatment of the President of the United States.”
During Wednesday’s opening monologue, though, Hannity said the ideological disagreements between the two would not prevent him from aiding Acosta as a human being if anything were to get out of hand.
“Let me say this clearly and loudly,” Hannity posited. “I want every journalist in this country, everyone, I don’t care who you work for, to be safe.”
“And I will tell you right now, I will be the first person to come to your defense if I’m there and anyone ever dares lay a hand on you,” he added. “If I was standing there, if I see it happen, I will be the first person to jump in and fight on your behalf.”
“Physical violence is never acceptable to me, nor is it acceptable to the conservatives I know and respect,” Hannity said before explaining that any conservative who advocates for violence is no friend of his or the movement.
Sean Hannity pledges to defend Jim Acosta from violence, but Acosta replies his show is “injecting poison” into America. https://t.co/18uwkALrW0 pic.twitter.com/XYWJnvyaKC
— NewsBusters (@newsbusters) August 2, 2018
It won’t happen. Conservatives and Trump supporters have no interest in attacking Acosta other than with words, rightly pointing out he is a member of a profession that spreads lies and half-truths about this President.
As Hannity said, “people see through (his) lying bulls*** for what it is.”
That’s why they call Acosta out.