Sean Hannity accused Democrats and the media of wanting Americans to die from the coronavirus as the infectious respiratory disease nears reaching pandemic proportions.
“The amount of lying that goes on in the mob and the media is so disgraceful. And the Democrats — the politicizing, the weaponizing, you know, of this virus to bludgeon the president, when he’s done more, more quickly, than anybody in modern history to prevent the spread of the virus,” the conservative commentator said Monday on his syndicated radio program, “The Sean Hannity Show.”
“It’s like they’re hoping Americans die and get sick and that we all lose a fortune in the stock market because of the jittery stock market,” he said later in the show.
Mr. Hannity, who also hosts an opinion program on Fox News, made the claim on the heels of Donald Trump Jr. making a similar remark on the network days earlier.
Appearing on the “Fox & Friends” program Friday, President Trump’s eldest son said that Democrats seemingly hope the coronavirus comes to the U.S. “and kills millions of people” so that his father re-election campaign suffers.
Vice President Mike Pence subsequently defended the first son’s remark when asked about the comment during an interview conducted Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Program.
“When you see voices on our side pushing back on outrageous and irresponsible rhetoric on the other side, I think that’s important, and I think it’s justified,” Mr. Pence reasoned.
More than 87,000 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed internationally since its discovery in December, according to the World Health Organization.
The number of coronavirus infections confirmed in the U.S. surpassed 100 Tuesday, including six cases in which individuals with the disease later died.
Mr. Hannity’s comment was first flagged by the progressive Media Matters for America watchdog group.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.