Major Controversies Surrounding Sean Hannity: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Sean Hannity.

Sean Hannity is a prominent American conservative television and radio host, and author. He is best known for hosting "The Sean Hannity Show," a nationally syndicated radio program, and his long-running political commentary program on Fox News, which began in 2009. Prior to his solo show, he co-hosted "Hannity & Colmes" with Alan Colmes, a debate-style program that aired on Fox News from its inception in 1996 until 2009. Hannity is a significant voice in conservative media.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1989: Hannity makes anti-gay comments on KCSB radio show

In 1989, on the radio show for KCSB, Hannity made anti-gay comments, calling AIDS a "gay disease". The ACLU opposed his firing and petitioned the station to reverse their decision. Hannity demanded a formal apology and double the airtime.

The AIDS cover-up?: The real and alarming facts about AIDS

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2001: Hannity describes climate change as 'phony science from the left'

In 2001, Hannity described climate change as "phony science from the left".

2004: Hannity claims scientists can't agree on global warming

In 2004, Hannity falsely claimed that scientists couldn't agree on whether global warming was "scientific fact or fiction".

2006: Hannity criticizes Keith Ellison's oath on a Quran

In 2006, Hannity was critical of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to U.S. Congress, being sworn into office with an oath on a Quran. Hannity equated the Quran with Mein Kampf, asking a guest on his show whether he would have allowed Ellison "to choose, you know, Hitler's Mein Kampf, which is the Nazi bible?"

Mein Kampf

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2008: Hannity Calls on Obama to Release Birth Certificate

Even after Barack Obama produced his birth certificate in 2008, certified by the state of Hawaii, Sean Hannity kept calling on Obama to release his birth certificate.

2009: Hannity supports enhanced interrogation and volunteers to be waterboarded

In 2009, Hannity said he supported enhanced interrogation, a euphemism for torture, and volunteered to be waterboarded for charity.

2009: Hannity comments on the Iraq War

In 2009, Hannity said of the Iraq War, "we were victorious in spite of the Democrats' efforts and attempts at preventing victory."

2010: Hannity claims 'Climategate' exposed global warming as a myth

In 2010, Hannity falsely stated that so-called "Climategate" – the leaking of e-mails written by climate scientists that, according to climate change deniers, demonstrated scientific misconduct, but which all subsequent inquiries found to show no evidence of misconduct or wrongdoing – was a scandal that "exposed global warming as a myth cooked up by alarmists".

2010: Hannity Criticizes Assange and WikiLeaks

In 2010, Sean Hannity said that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was waging a "war" on the United States, putting American lives in "jeopardy".

2010: Controversies regarding Freedom Concerts

In 2010, conservative blogger Debbie Schlussel wrote that only a small percentage of the money raised by Sean Hannity's Freedom Concerts goes to the target charity. The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

2012: Hannity Cites Romney's Philadelphia Vote Count as Proof of Rigging

In 2016, Sean Hannity cited Mitt Romney's failure to obtain votes in some Philadelphia voting districts in 2012 as evidence of election rigging, a claim that was refuted by fact-checkers.

2012: Benghazi attack

Six investigations by Republican-controlled House committees found no evidence of scandal in relation to 2012 Benghazi attack.

2014: Hannity Promotes Alleged Scandals Involving Obama and Clinton

In 2014, Media Matters analysis found that Sean Hannity was a major proponent of alleged scandals involving the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton related to the 2012 Benghazi attack.

2015: Fox News begins coverage of Uranium One scandal

From 2015 into 2018, Fox News broadcast extensive coverage of an alleged scandal surrounding the sale of Uranium One to Russian interests, which Hannity characterized as "one of the biggest scandals in American history".

April 2016: Tensions with Cruz during radio interview

In April 2016, tensions between Ted Cruz and Sean Hannity reached a boiling point during a radio interview. Cruz implied Hannity was a "hardcore Donald Trump supporter", and Hannity accused Cruz of "throw[ing] this in my face" when asked legitimate questions.

August 2016: Hannity as Trump's Media Booster and Advisor

In August 2016, Jim Rutenberg commented that Sean Hannity was not only Donald Trump's biggest media booster but also acted as an adviser, offering suggestions on strategy and messaging to Trump's campaign for months.

September 2016: Hannity Praises Assange After WikiLeaks Publication

In September 2016, after WikiLeaks published leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee, Sean Hannity praised Julian Assange for showing "how corrupt, dishonest and phony our government is" and wished him well.

October 2016: Hannity Offers Obama a Ticket to Kenya

In October 2016, Sean Hannity offered to purchase a one-way ticket to Kenya for Barack Obama due to queries on Obama's citizenship.

2016: Study finds Hannity promoted falsehoods about Affordable Care Act

A 2016 study found that Hannity promoted a number of falsehoods about the Affordable Care Act. Hannity, unlike other Fox News hosts, "took a more direct approach, aggressively supporting Republicans and conservatives and attacking Democrats and liberals".

2016: Hannity vouches for Trump's claimed opposition to the Iraq War

During the 2016 election, Hannity vouched for Trump's claimed opposition to the Iraq War, "Mr. Trump and I disagreed about the Iraq war; I was for it and he was against it."

2016: Hannity's False Claims About Election Rigging

During the 2016 presidential election, Sean Hannity came under criticism for making false claims about election rigging during interviews.

2016: Hannity Promotes Conspiracy Theories About Clinton's Health

During the 2016 presidential election, Sean Hannity promoted conspiracy theories about Hillary Clinton's health, misrepresented photos, and booked doctors to make alarmist statements about her condition.

2016: Hannity's description of Mueller investigation and Comey's tenure

In 2016, Hannity described the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, as well as James Comey's tenure as FBI Director, as "one giant incestuous circle of corruption".

2016: Hannity falsely claims fewer people voted for Trump due to "pee tape" rumor

In 2016, Hannity falsely claimed fewer people voted for Trump in the 2016 election because they heard about the "pee tape" rumor, which he called "election interference", even though it was not public knowledge until 63 days after the election.

2016: Hannity defends Roger Ailes

In 2016, Hannity vociferously defended Roger Ailes when he was accused by multiple women of sexual harassment.

2016: Criticized for being overly favorable to Trump's candidacy

In 2016, Sean Hannity was criticized as being overly favorable to the candidacy of Donald Trump and granting him more airtime than other presidential candidates during the primaries.

February 2017: Hannity Retweets Conspiracy Article About McCain

In February 2017, Sean Hannity retweeted a WikiLeaks tweet linking to an article by the conspiracy website Gateway Pundit, which described John McCain as a "globalist war criminal". He later deleted the tweet.

March 2017: Hannity publicizes CIA hacking theory

In March 2017, Hannity publicized a theory, first proposed at the WikiLeaks Twitter account, that the CIA could have done the hacking of the Democratic National Convention's emails during the 2016 election while making it look like Russia did it.

March 2017: Hannity Calls for 'Purge' of Obama-Era Officials

In March 2017, Sean Hannity called for a "purge" of Obama-era bureaucrats and appointees in government, furthering the "deep state" conspiracy theory.

April 2017: Hannity defends Bill Shine

In April 2017, Hannity came to the defense of Fox News co-president Bill Shine after it was reported that Shine's job was at risk. At least four lawsuits alleged that Shine had ignored, enabled or concealed Ailes' alleged sexual harassment.

May 2017: Hannity Offers Assange Guest Hosting Spot

In May 2017, Sean Hannity offered Julian Assange a guest hosting spot on his Fox News TV show.

May 2017: Hannity Promotes Conspiracy Theory About DNC Staffer Killing

In May 2017, Sean Hannity promoted a conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party had a DNC staffer killed. This led to backlash and advertisers pulling their marketing from his Fox News program, before USAA decided to return to the show shortly after.

May 2017: Hannity Claims Deep State Operatives Trying to Destroy Trump Presidency

In May 2017, Sean Hannity reiterated that deep state/intelligence operatives were attempting to destroy Donald Trump's presidency.

May 17, 2017: Hannity's criticism of the Mueller investigation begins

On May 17, 2017, the day of Mueller's appointment, Hannity began a sustained period of criticism towards the FBI, DOJ, Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and others investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.

September 2017: Hannity hosts Bill O'Reilly on his show

In September 2017, several months after Bill O'Reilly was fired from Fox News in the wake of a number of women's alleging that he had sexually harassed them, Hannity hosted O'Reilly on his show. Some Fox News employees criticized the decision.

October 2017: Hannity Criticized for Attacking Democrats after Weinstein Allegations

In October 2017, Hannity came under criticism when he attacked Democrats after it became known that a large number of women had accused Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood producer and donor to Democratic causes, of sexual harassment. Critics noted that Hannity had weeks earlier defended and hosted his coworker Bill O'Reilly who was fired following a number of sexual harassment allegations.

November 2017: Fox News host Shepard Smith debunks Uranium One scandal

In November 2017, Fox News host Shepard Smith concisely debunked the alleged Uranium One scandal, infuriating viewers. Hannity later called Smith "clueless".

December 2017: Hannity Declares Himself an Advocacy Journalist

In December 2017, Sean Hannity stated, "I'm a journalist. But I'm an advocacy journalist, or an opinion journalist."

2017: Cohen's legal tasks

In 2017, Cohen did "traditional legal tasks" for only three clients: Trump, Elliott Broidy, and a "prominent person" whom he didn't want to name.

2017: Hannity continues to advocate for waterboarding

In 2017, Hannity continued to advocate for waterboarding, raising the example of using it against a kidnapper.

January 2018: Hannity's past comments about Hillary Clinton

In January 2018, Sean Hannity stated regarding Hillary Clinton: "I think Hillary should be in jail. Lock her up."

March 2018: Media Matters reports Hannity not yet waterboarded

According to Media Matters, as of March 2018, Hannity has not been waterboarded despite volunteering to be waterboarded for charity in 2009.

March 2018: Hannity attacks Special Counsel Robert Mueller

In March 2018, Hannity attacked Special Counsel Robert Mueller, saying his career was "anything but impeccable". Hannity said Mueller was friends with former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and that he "cannot be expected to honestly investigate scandals that his friends are directly involved in".

March 2018: Seth Rich's Parents Sue Fox News

In March 2018, Seth Rich's parents filed a lawsuit against Fox News for pushing conspiracy theories about their son's death, alleging that the network "intentionally exploited" the tragedy for political purposes.

April 9, 2018: Federal Agents Search Michael Cohen's Office

On April 9, 2018, federal agents searched the office and residence of Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's personal attorney. Sean Hannity defended Cohen and criticized the federal action on the air, calling it "highly questionable" and "an unprecedented abuse of power".

April 2018: Hannity claims 'criminal' connections between Clintons, Mueller, and Comey

In April 2018, Hannity ran a segment where he claimed there were "criminal" connections between Bill and Hillary Clinton, Mueller, and Comey. Hannity asserted that there were three connected "Deep State crime families" actively "trying to take down the president".

April 2018: Hannity's Shared Lawyer with Trump

In April 2018, it was revealed that Sean Hannity shared a lawyer, Michael Cohen, with Donald Trump. Hannity had not disclosed this relationship while defending Cohen on Fox News and criticizing those investigating him, breaching journalistic ethics.

April 16, 2018: Hannity Revealed as Cohen's Client

On April 16, 2018, in a court hearing, Michael Cohen's lawyers revealed that Sean Hannity was one of his clients, which Hannity had not disclosed while covering Cohen on his show.

May 16, 2018: End of Media Matters' review of Hannity's show coverage of Mueller

On May 16, 2018, the conclusion of Media Matters' review of 254 episodes of Hannity's show revealed that Hannity had devoted approximately two segments per episode substantially to Mueller, and opened his program with Mueller 152 times, approximately three times per week.

June 2018: Hannity suggests witnesses destroy phones

In June 2018, after reports that Mueller's probe had asked witnesses to turn their personal phones over to investigators for examination, Hannity sarcastically suggested on air to the witnesses that they "follow Hillary Clinton's lead" and destroy their personal phones so they cannot be examined.

August 2018: Trump suggests government shutdown over border wall, claims Hannity agrees

In August 2018, Trump suggested that he might shut down the government to force Congress to fund his border wall, boasting that Hannity agreed with the action.

November 4, 2018: Trump's website announces Hannity's appearance at rally

On November 4, 2018, Trump's website, DonaldJTrump.com, announced in a press release that Hannity would make a "special guest appearance" with Trump at a midterm campaign rally the following night in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

2018: Fox News continues coverage of Uranium One scandal

May 2019: Hannity calls Mueller 'basically full of crap'

In May 2019, after Mueller gave a statement saying the Special Counsel investigation did not exonerate Trump of crimes, Hannity said Mueller was "basically full of crap" and did not know the law.

June 2019: Hannity calls on Trump to 'bomb the hell of out Iran'

In June 2019, Hannity called on Trump to "bomb the hell of out Iran" after Iran shot down a U.S. drone.

June 2019: Hannity's Outrage at Pelosi's Comment

In June 2019, Sean Hannity expressed outrage at Nancy Pelosi's comment about wanting to see Donald Trump "in prison", calling it "despicable behavior".

2019: Spewed baseless conspiracy theories with impunity

The New Yorker wrote in 2019 that Sean Hannity had "[spewed] baseless conspiracy theories with impunity".

February 2020: Hannity's COVID-19 comments

In February 2020, as COVID-19 spread to the U.S., Hannity claimed the left was rooting for the virus to "wreak havoc" for political gain.

March 2020: Hannity characterizes COVID-19 as a hoax

In March 2020, Hannity described COVID-19 as a "hoax" and suggested it could be a "fraud" by the "deep state".

October 12, 2020: Fox News Settles with Rich Family

On October 12, 2020, Fox News agreed to pay millions of dollars to the Rich family following a lawsuit over the network pushing conspiracy theories about their son's death.

December 2020: Hannity Calls for Special Prosecutor

In December 2020, Sean Hannity called for a special prosecutor to investigate Donald Trump's claims of voter fraud, despite the absence of credible evidence.

2020: Claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election

In 2020, Sean Hannity made false claims of election fraud in the presidential election.

2020: Hannity Hosts Sidney Powell

Shortly after the 2020 election, Sean Hannity hosted Donald Trump attorney Sidney Powell, who made unsubstantiated assertions about Dominion Voting Systems' voting machines.

December 31, 2020: Hannity's Text to Meadows on January 6

On December 31, 2020, Sean Hannity texted Mark Meadows, saying, "I do NOT see January 6 happening the way he [Trump] is being told."

2021: Fox News Sued by Dominion Voting Systems

In 2021, Fox News was sued for defamation by Dominion Voting Systems after Sean Hannity and others promoted claims that the company's voting machines were rigged against Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

May 2022: Hannity Participates in Call to Challenge Election

In May 2022, it was reported that Sean Hannity participated in a conference call days after the 2020 presidential election, focusing on strategies to challenge the vote's legitimacy.

January 2023: Comer begins investigating the Bidens

In January 2023, James Comer began investigating the Bidens, but initially found no evidence of wrongdoing by the president.

December 2023: House votes to initiate impeachment inquiry

In December 2023, despite lacking evidence of wrongdoing by the president, Republicans in the House voted unanimously to initiate an impeachment inquiry.

2023: Hannity promotes Biden corruption allegations

Throughout 2023, Hannity heavily promoted allegations that President Joe Biden was corruptly involved in his son Hunter Biden's business dealings, calling them the "Biden crime family". Media Matters found that Hannity discussed the bribery allegations on his program 85 times and hosted James Comer 43 times to discuss the investigation into the Biden family.

February 2024: FBI informant indicted for fabricating story

In February 2024, the FBI informant who alleged Biden took a bribe was indicted for fabricating the story and alleged to be associated with Russian intelligence.