When it comes to Fox News host Sean Hannity’s attacks on the FBI, there is so much from which to choose:
Smart people have analyzed what such attacks by Hannity and others mean for democracy and the rule of law. Curtains, is the consensus of those authors.
But unaddressed in such analyses is what Hannity’s attacks mean for his “FBI” hats. Have a look at the video below; it comes from a 2011 “Bark in the Park” event to promote dog adoptions. “I just want to thank you all for coming out,” said Hannity at the event, as his hat showcased a beautiful expression of solidarity with American justice:
Mind you: Hannity has said on his program that he remains a believer in the “rank and file” of the FBI — it’s just those rotten leaders that irk him so. “Remember,” said Hannity during a March edition of his program, “I’ve always had the greatest respect for rank and file, not these guys in D.C. that have abused their power. That’s a small portion.”
That aligns with a White House talking point that Trump’s May 2017 firing of then-FBI Director James B. Comey enjoyed support from FBI personnel. White House aide Sarah Huckabee Sanders said back then that she’d heard from “countless” FBI staffers who were “grateful and thankful for the president’s decision.” Internal surveys of the FBI, it turned out, showed high-to-glowing support for Comey among Hannity’s rank-and-file types. In other words, the attempt to drive a wedge between layers of the FBI workforce is as contrived as any other notion seized upon by Hannity and his ilk.
Asked about the hat matter, a Fox News spokesperson pointed to Hannity’s continued support for rank-and-file agents and noted that the host has “numerous” “FBI” hats that he wears “regularly.”