While decent, patriotic Americans cringed with horror to hear Donald Trump all but encourage foreign interference in our election on ABC News last night, Sean Hannity protected his meal ticket, I mean defended Trump, by deflecting and ratcheting up hostility against Democrats.
In case you missed it, this is how Trump signaled his willingness to [further] collude with just about any foreign country willing to help his re-election efforts. It occurred during an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. After falsely insisting the Mueller report found he had “rebuffed” Russia (the report said the opposite), and that FBI Director Christopher Wray was "wrong" in saying that Donald Trump Jr. should have contacted the FBI when Russians offered him "dirt" on Hillary Clinton, Trump Sr. made it clear he would not rebuff any interference now.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Your campaign this time around, if foreigners, if Russia, if China, if someone else offers you information on opponents, should they accept it or should they call the FBI?
TRUMP: I think maybe you do both. I think you might want to listen, there’s nothing wrong with listening. If somebody called from a country, Norway, “we have information on your opponent.” Oh, I think I’d want to hear it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You want that kind of interference in our elections?
TRUMP: It’s not an interference, they have information. I think I’d take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I’d go maybe to the FBI. If I thought there was something wrong. But when somebody comes up with oppo research, right, they come up with oppo research. Oh, let’s call the FBI. The FBI doesn’t have enough agents to take care of it, but you go and talk honestly to congressmen, they all do it, they always have. And that’s the way it is. It’s called oppo research.
I’m old enough to remember Hannity obsessively accusing Michelle Obama of not loving her country enough. But putting out a welcome mat for foreign interference is not just a lack of love, it’s a betrayal of the U.S. and a crime.
But to Hannity the only crime is not displaying blind loyalty to his Glorious Leader – who just happens to be the key to his own fortunes, too. Let’s not forget Hannity sat on the story, and kept it from his own newsroom, of Trump Jr. taking that meeting with the Russians in hopes of getting "dirt" on Clinton. If Trump’s base turns against him, all that Hannity slobbering and sucking up will not age well.
So it was not a shock to see Hannity try to distract from Trump's treason with a return to the familiar “Lock Her Up” Hannity he tried to sweep under the rug just last week.
First, Hannity opened the show by gleefully suggesting that all of Trump’s political foes might be arrested at any moment:
HANNITY: All right. Welcome to "Hannity".
Breaking only moments ago from "The New York Times," major new development in John Durham's investigation into the origins of the Russia probe, this is huge. By the way, if your name is Brennan, Clapper, or Comey, you may want to lawyer up because Durham is now seeking interviews especially with top CIA officers.
That's right. Investigation into the investigators is going to be all- encompassing like we have been telling you. It will likely now spread across continents. …
The boomerang of all boomerangs of justice is in full swing. And high- ranking, former bureaucrats, they are in deep, deep trouble tonight. And there's no stopping this train.
Talk about not loving your country!
But Hannity had only begun the night's hatriotism.
HANNITY: And meanwhile, Democrats and, of course, their friends in the media mob, they are still fixated on one issue and one only -- raged psychosis against the president. As we speak, once again apoplectic. This is actually the most amazing set up you'll ever see. Brand-new interview clip between the president and ABCs Georgie Stephanopoulos, the resident Clinton sycophant...
[…]
HANNITY: Now, this is what's fascinating. Let's be very clear, you might want to listen. Listening is much different than, let's see, lying, spying, and paying for Russian lies and spreading it through deep state operatives and then using it as a basis for a FISA warrant, because Hillary Clinton -- if the media is outraged over, you might want to listen and then report it to the FBI, why are they not outraged about Hillary paying for Russian lies, disinformation, Comey generously using the unverifiable data from Russia to spy on the Trump campaign and get a FISA warrant.
As Crooks and Liars noted, there’s a huge difference between Russia deliberately trying to interfere in our election and the warnings by a former agent of an ally that a candidate for president is compromised by the Russians. But not to Hannity, of course, because the only loyalty that matters to him (and his pocketbook) is loyalty to Trump!
HANNITY: No doubt, by the way, this will all get another round of fake, phony, moral selective outrage over that interview, but it's a perfect set up because if they are outraged about that, and how can you not be outraged over what I just said? Of course, that's all to be expected. In many ways, that was actually a genius set up because the media mob will fall right into his trap breathlessly spewing fake, phony outrage over a nonstory for days, we'll be showing you the tape this time tomorrow night, ignoring the real abuse of power that took place in 2016 and the real Russian dossier that was bought and paid for and then used as a basis to spy on the Trump campaign.
Hannity's blind loyalty to Trump would be comical if it weren’t so dangerous to our democracy.
Watch the propaganda below, from the June 12, 2019 Hannity.
(Transcript excerpts via Fox News)
Perhaps Nancy is right after all. They are doing far more damage to themselves than any congressional enquiry could ever hope to.