Fox News host Sean Hannity, who had been set to receive the Media Research Center’s William F. Buckley Jr. Award for Media Excellence in September, will not be the recipient after all, reportedly because a member of the Buckley family objected.
Politico reports that Buckley’s son, Christopher Buckley, was disturbed with the choice of Hannity and expressed his views to MRC head Brent Bozell, who is also Buckley’s nephew. Yet Hannity and the MRC are claiming it’s all just a “scheduling conflict.”
CNN’s Jake Tapper first reported that Hannity would no longer be the recipient of the award, named after the late conservative firebrand William F. Buckley. According to Tapper:
“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.
“‘It’s my understanding there was a scheduling conflict,’ Ryan Moy, a spokesman for the MRC, told CNN.
“A source familiar with the situation tells CNN that Christopher Buckley said of the concocted scheduling excuse: ‘perhaps Mr. Hannity has been offered the Ronald Reagan Great Communicator Award on the same evening and had decided to leverage upwards.'”
Upon reading Tapper’s comments, Hannity became apoplectic and fired off a series of tweets:
Hey Fake News Jake, I was offered an award, I was unable to attend, and I respectfully turned it down. https://t.co/z69QXiW7AZ
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 21, 2017
If @NRO "Never Trumpers" or WFB's son were upset about me receiving the award, they never told me. Now I'm really glad I said "No thanks" https://t.co/33BFWgnlEj
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 21, 2017
Fact; "Awards" are BS ways to raise $. The only "Award" I care about is serving my audience, the support of my audience, and saving the USA https://t.co/YcYJTeSUto
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 21, 2017
Chris Buckley (NO WFB) needs to speak out about how @NRO has readers pay for free cruise "vacations". Thank God for Conservative Review.
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 21, 2017
Tapper was equal to the task and responded:
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
That really pissed off the Fox host:
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
The irony of Sean Hannity calling someone in the media a hack is laughable. Hannity is not even qualified to earn the title of hack. He’s just one of Donald Trump’s designated ass kissers who happens to have a show on television with falling ratings. As his political lord and savior would say, Sad!
Featured Image Via Fox News
