In the first of several Make O’Reilly Great Again segments on Hannity tonight, Sean Hannity and his new BFF, Bill O’Reilly spent a lot of time complaining about black NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem.
The two white guys, each of whom have made careers out of race baiting, pondered what they thought the real cause of the protests. They dismissed, almost as a given, that they could not be over racial inequality, as the players say.
“It’s a mob mentality, it is a anti-Trump demonstration, that’s what it’s morphed into,” O’Reilly said accusingly. He distinguished that from “informed dissent.”
Hannity then seized the moment to try to blame Obama, whom Hannity has long painted as suspiciously too-black:
HANNITY: How much of this is related? I played [a clip of] President Obama. He rushed to judgment when it came to Baltimore and Freddie Gray and it never happened, “Hands up, don’t shoot.” And Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman.
[…]
[Obama] rushed to judgment. That narrative – people believe “hands up, don’t shoot” happened.
O’REILLY: A lot of people believe propaganda and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Which is rather ironic, coming from the propaganda network and Hannity, who promoted the unfounded Seth Rich conspiracy theory in the service of beloved Trump.
But, clearly, O’Reilly didn’t want to go there because he quickly changed the subject to his new book which, he claims, explains “how we got our freedom.”
“I’d love to go to every NFL locker room and give these guys the book,” O’Reilly said, suggesting that they’re all a bunch of ignorant darkies. “Would they read the book? Most of them would not. Because, again, they’re caught up in emotion. This is emotion what’s happening now.”
Yeah, it’s a complete mystery how those black players might think there’s still racial injustice in this country.
Meanwhile, there was almost no discussion about the allegations of sexual harassment against O’Reilly that got him booted off the air. In Fox’s own announcement of his departure, anchor Bret Baier noted that Fox’s decision was based on “an extensive review of sexual harassment allegations against him.”
Now, less than six months later, Hannity and Fox gave a big “never mind!” to the viewers and to its own female employees. Fox heavily promoted O’Reilly’s appearance tonight. Hannity greeted O’Reilly by asking him to make his trademark “The spin stops here” motion that opened his shows. “The people want to see it,” Hannity said pointedly. Then, after commenting how good it was to see O’Reilly, Hannity asked, “Do you miss the daily grind?” As if O’Reilly had merely retired instead of getting pushed out in disgrace.
Watch these two former enemies bond over racial animosity below, from the September 26, 2017 O’Reilly Rehab Hour Hannity show.
