Fox News condemned the actions of hosts Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro after the pair joined President Donald Trump onstage for a rally in Missouri on Monday night.
Hannity was already receiving flack Monday for being listed as a “special guest” at the rally, but Hannity and Fox assured viewers that he would not be campaigning with the president. Rather, Hannity claimed he would be broadcasting live from the rally and would hold an interview with the president. (RELATED: Rush Limbaugh Takes Stage At Trump Rally)
In Missouri yesterday with the @FoxNews team watching stage prep for the TRUMP RALLY. #hannity pic.twitter.com/UPXuNm0GOo
— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) November 6, 2018
However, both Hannity and Pirro joined the president onstage after he invited them to come up and speak.
In Missouri yesterday with the @FoxNews team watching stage prep for the TRUMP RALLY. #hannity pic.twitter.com/UPXuNm0GOo
— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) November 6, 2018
“Mr. President, I did an opening monologue today and I had no idea you were going to invite me up here,” Hannity said, before calling the group of journalists in the back of the rally “fake news.”
Fox News called its hosts’ appearance onstage a “distraction” in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.
“FOX News does not condone any talent participating in campaign events,” the company wrote. “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.”
Fox News statement on Hannity and Jeanine Pirro’s participation at the Trump rally last night pic.twitter.com/NsVN6imjLw
— Max Tani (@maxwelltani) November 6, 2018
In a series of tweets shortly after Fox’s statement was released, Hannity asserted that he was not planning on joining the rally.
What I said in my tweet yesterday was 100% truthful. When the POTUS invited me on stage to give a few remarks last night, I was surprised, yet honored by the president’s request. This was NOT planned.
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) November 6, 2018
He also clarified that he was not calling any of his colleagues at Fox “fake news” during his remarks.
To be clear, I was not referring to my journalist colleagues at FOX News in those remarks. They do amazing work day in and day out in a fair and balanced way and It is an honor to work with such great professionals.
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) November 6, 2018
Hannity consistently has the highest-rated program in all of cable news, earning 3.5 million total viewers in the month of October, according to Nielsen Media Research. Fox News host and The Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson finished in second place with 3.2 million viewers.
Fox News also announced on Monday that they would no longer be airing a campaign ad from President Donald Trump that tied illegal immigrants to crime. Other networks, including CNN, have decided that the ad is “racist.”
