Sean Hannity Loses It When Confronted About Backing Out of Being Waterboarded

Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 12:36 am

Sean Hannity completely loses it, when he gets confronted by a senior reporter at Think Progress on cowardly backing out of his offer to be waterboarded back in 2009.

Here is the audio:

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Transcript via Think Progress:

SCOTT KEYES: Before we get started I wanted to say one quick thing. Back in April 2009, you’d made a very generous offer. To prove that it’s not torture, you agreed on your television show to be waterboarded for charity and to donate the proceeds to the troops’ families.

HANNITY: I said Charles Grodin could do it.

KEYES: Now I know you’re an honorable guy Sean, when are you planning to hold the event?

HANNITY: You’re obviously taping this. I’m not getting into your five-year-old issue. Here I am bringing you on the program and give you an opportunity to give your pretty radical left-wing point of view, that’s kind of the way you treat me. But that’s all right.

KEYES: Sean, I’m just curious because you don’t think this is torture.

HANNITY: Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me. I get to ask the questions on the program.

Hannity was lying. Here is what he said to Charles Grodin in 2009:

GRODIN: You’re for torture.

HANNITY: I am for enhanced interrogation.
GRODIN: You don’t believe it’s torture. Have you ever been waterboarded?
HANNITY: No, but Ollie North has.
GRODIN: Would you consent to be waterboarded? We can waterboard you?
HANNITY: Sure.
GRODIN: Are you busy on Sunday?

HANNITY: I’ll do it for charity. I’ll let you do it. I’ll do it for the troops’ families.

This is why right wing media doesn’t like having guests on from the left or middle. Hannity, like his guests, is used to never being called out on anything. When someone from the left or middle invades the conservative bubble of ignorance, their world dissolves into chaos. Their only response is to label the questioner a radical left winger. It sounds like Hannity was this close to screaming socialist and running out of the room.

Hannity offered to be waterboarded for the “troops’ families,” and then he showed his cowardice by rewriting the history of the offer to claim that he never made it. He is not only letting his fans down. He is hurting the troops. Sorry Sean, you offered to be waterboarded. America is waiting for you to follow through on your promise. A true patriot wouldn’t let his country down like this.

Come on, Hannity. Waterboarding isn’t torture, right? So wrap yourself in the flag and do it for the troops.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association