Sean Hannity Feuds with CNN’s Jake Tapper Over Fox Host’s Award Confusion
Sean Hannity will no longer receive the conservative Media Research Center’s William F. Buckley Award for Media Excellence and the Fox News host landed in a Twitter feud with CNN’s Jake Tapper over the situation.
The award’s namesake Buckley, who founded the National Review, died in 2008. His son, best-selling author Christopher Buckley, “expressed great dismay,” that the award would go to Hannity, according to Tapper.
“Giving an award in his name to Hannity — a pugnacious talk radio host who has shared conspiracy theories on his popular cable news show — had caused hand wringing among some conservatives,” Tapper wrote.
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However, Hannity took to Twitter to attack Tapper and say he’s actually declining the award because of a scheduling conflict.
“Hey Fake News Jake, I was offered an award, I was unable to attend, and I respectfully turned it down,” Hannity tweeted.
“It’s my understanding there was a scheduling conflict,” a Media Research Center spokesman told CNN. The spokesman did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for additional comment.
However, Tapper’s report added the following line: “Sources tell CNN that the MRC leadership discussed ways to allow Hannity to save face by acting as if a scheduling conflict would prevent him from accepting the award.”
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Tapper responded to Hannity’s claim on Twitter and the Fox News star quickly fired back:
1) deny accurate report; attack journalist
2) attack folks who protested his getting the award
3) attack all awards https://t.co/H096DQrHkm— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) July 21, 2017
A) You are a liberal hack and not a journalist. B) @NRO is "never trump" like you. C) Chris Buckley never called me. D) I declined-conflict https://t.co/HbURUJJXsN
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 21, 2017
Earlier this year, Media Research Center President Brent Bozell slammed the advertiser boycott of Hannity that occurred when he continued to cover the death of former DNC staffer Seth Rich.
The attack on Sean Hannity is a part of the liberal strategy to re-establish their monopoly over television news. They want only one voice on the air: their own. All others must be silenced,” Bozell said in a statement at the time. “We now see elements of corporate America joining in the liberal cause and advancing the liberal strategy. These corporations are not serving the interests of their customers.”
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Sean Hannity on Seth Rich Conspiracy: 'My Investigation Continues'
