Even in Trump World, Stephen Miller stands out for his bigotry and cruelty (think child separations e.g.) so it says a lot about Sean Hannity that Miller would fawn over him as the inspiration for his world view.
Media Matters caught Miller slobbering over Hannity on his radio show yesterday.
First, Hannity needled Miller for not coming on his show more, then congratulated him on a new baby. Miller apologized, promised to come on more often and proceeded to butter up Hannity.
MILLER: I'm of the generation where I grew up on Hannity. I don't want to make you feel old but …
[…]
MILLER: I remember being a kid in school. I got my first car and everyday I'd turn on Hannity radio and I’d listen to it. So, a lot of what I believe about the world today I give you credit for helping to shape and inspire. So, thank you.
To refresh your memory, here’s some of what Hannity reportedly inspired, via SPLC:
Stephen Miller is credited with shaping the racist and draconian immigration policies of President Trump, which include the zero-tolerance policy, also known as family separation, the Muslim ban and ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Miller has also “purged” government agencies of civil servants who are not entirely loyal to his extremist agenda, according to a report in Vanity Fair.
…
In response to seeing photos of children being separated from their parents at the U.S. border with Mexico as a result of the zero-tolerance policy, an external White House adviser, in a Vanity Fair report, said, “Stephen actually enjoys seeing those pictures at the border.” According to Miller, the administration’s decision to institute the policy was “a simple decision.”
Miller is also a Donald Trump loyalist so sucking up to Hannity, Trump’s Bedtime BFF, would be a smart political move. But although immigration has never seemed to me to be Hannity’s top issue and he seems to have muted his racism of late, one can certainly understand why Miller would have looked up to Hannity as a youngster.
I’ve written extensively about Hannity’s racist and race-baiting history but here are just some of his outstanding moments:
Hannity was an eager promoter of birtherism.
Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt, whom we recently learned is his gal pal, went to bat for racial segregation in Westchester County, New York.
Hannity race baited Oprah Winfrey’s Presidential Medal of Freedom Award.
Hannity was sent into a fit of race baiting by an Obama-era DOJ report that validated Black grievances against the Ferguson, MO police and criminal justice system.
Hannity has palled around with a white supremacist.
Hannity repeatedly smeared Haitian immigrant Abner Louima, a Black victim of police brutality. According to FAIR, Hannity repeatedly suggested on the air that Louima’s injuries resulted from gay sex and sang a parody of “You’re Three Times A Lady” with the lyrics “you’re three times a liar.” FAIR also noted that Hannity stopped referring to the victim as “Lying Louima” only after the officer confessed to sodomizing him with the help of another officer.
You can listen to Miller suggest he’s soulmates with Hannity below, from the September 10, 2020 The Sean Hannity Show, via Media Matters.
(Hannity image via screen grab)
