It’s hard to maintain a modicum of journalistic integrity when your star host is well-known as a good friend who chats with and advises the president daily, but when that same host appears at a political rally on stage with the president you have to do something.
Fox has announced that it has “addressed” Sean Hannity’s decision to appear on stage with President Trump at a hyper-partisan rally on the eve of Election Day.
“FOX News does not condone any talent participating in campaign events,” the right wing cable TV network said in a statement. “We have an extraordinary team of journalists helming our coverage tonight and we are extremely proud of their work. This was an unfortunate distraction and has been addressed.”
Hannity had chastised those who felt his mere presence at the rally was inappropriate by saying he always interviews the president at a rally the night before an election, while promising he would not appear on stage.
That was false.
“To be clear, I will not be on stage campaigning with the President. I am covering final rally for my show. Something I have done in every election in the past,” Hannity claimed late Monday morning.
Hours later, he on stage with President Trump.
Not only did Hannity join the president on stage, he gave him a huge hug after leaping on to the stage. He then took the opportunity to denounce “all those” reporters covering the event – including those from Fox News – as “fake news.”
Fox has not detailed how it has “addressed” the issue, but there are no reports Hannity has been suspended.