It's no secret that the hosts on MSNBC and Fox News don't always see eye to eye. For Sean Hannity, he's decided to get personal with his critics on the liberal network.
Hannity on "Morning Joe"
Over the last week, Fox News host Sean Hannity has come under fire for promoting a debunked conspiracy surrounding the death of former Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich. Last July, Rich was shot and killed in Washington, D.C. Local law enforcement believe Rich was a victim of a robbery in the neighborhood, but that didn't stop conspiracy theorists and those on the far-right from pushing their own ideas.
Despite no credible evidence to back up their claims, the conspiracies claim Rich had possibly leaked information about the DNC and Hillary Clinton to Wikileaks, and that he was the target of a murder as a result. Hannity has recently pushed the story on his program, leading to a member of the Rich family to personally write a letter to the network about their coverage. While Fox News retracted the story, Hannity has refused to do so, resulting in backlash from other networks, including the hosts on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," as was seen during the May 26 edition of the program.
sonofthebronx: Joe Scarborough calls Sean Hannity conspiracy claims "gros… MSNBC Morning Joe https://t.co/zmrRiWdmAu pic.twitter.com/FbY91tNamG
— FanNewsClips (@FanNewsClips) May 26, 2017
During Friday morning's "Morning Joe," host Joe Scarborough ripped into Sean Hannity for his coverage of the Seth Rich conspiracy.
"We are reduced to fake news and Sean Hannity ripping the hearts out of parents for their son," Scarborough said, before referring to the Fox News host's coverage as "gross" and "repulsive." Hannity and Scarborough have had well-documented issues in the past, often playing out across social media and on their respective cable news shows.
Hannity fired back
Just hours after Joe Scarborough criticized Sean Hannity, the Fox News host gave his own response to Mediaite. "Joe and Mika are so cute together. Do they hold hands under the desk?" Hannity asked, trolling the hosts over their recent engagement. Not stopping there, Hannity went on to add, "That would be the only reason to watch the low rated daily emotional breakdowns they have."
EXCLUSIVE: Sean Hannity Hits Back at Scarborough: 'Do They Hold Hands Under The Desk?’ https://t.co/5YUDNl2Fau pic.twitter.com/gFSkwVGQIt
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) May 26, 2017
Moving forward
Despite Sean Hannity sticking by his conspiracy theory, at least three advisers have pulled their ads from his show due to the controversy and the backlash from critics.
Though he didn't retract any of his own reporting, Hannity released a statement earlier in the week and confirmed that he would no longer speak about the Seth Rich story out of respect to the family and their wishes. Hannity is currently on vacation, but is scheduled to return to the network next week.