OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Fox News star Sean Hannity issued a big warning to Republicans up and down the ballot during a Wednesday show segment about one issue that could cost them election victories if they don’t address it.
“We know what the playbook is,” Hannity said of Democrats’ 2024 strategy while speaking with three pollsters. “They will demagogue on abortion. Republicans, they better have a good answer. And they also need to understand where the country is.”
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022, numerous Republican states have implemented abortion bans and restrictions. In response, Democrats have vigorously campaigned on the issue, managing to avert an expected electoral setback in the 2022 midterms by narrowly losing the House while securing a seat in the Senate.
Democrats have also celebrated victories in various special elections nationwide. Furthermore, abortion rights advocates have achieved significant successes in ballot referenda, even in traditionally conservative states.
While describing himself as “pretty pro-life,” Hannity said Republicans should not embrace abortion bans before 15 weeks.
“That’s where the country is,” he said. “And if Republican politicians don’t understand that, then… they’re gonna get their asses kicked and they’re gonna lose.”
Robert Cahaly, one of the pollsters, agreed.
“And it’s also the way you talk about it,” Cahaly said. “When the word ‘ban’ is being thrown around, Republicans are losing. When you start talking about ‘simple limitations,’ ‘reasonable limitations,’ and talking about the extreme being, ‘third-trimester abortion’ and ‘partial birth,’ Republicans are winning.”
WATCH:
Hannity says Republicans must embrace abortion restrictions of 15 weeks, nothing lower, or they'll face defeat in November. pic.twitter.com/tyZp2nvya8
— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) April 5, 2024
In January, Hannity revealed that he was packing up his talents and moving to Florida.
Hannity announced the “breaking news” to his iHeart audience, stating he was now broadcasting from his new Florida studio.
“If anybody is listening to this program for any length of time, been threatening now to do this for quite a while. But we are now beginning our first broadcast of my new home, and that is in the free state of Florida. I am out. I am done. I’m finished,” he said.
“New York, New York. Goodbye. Florida. Florida. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. But it’s great to be here. And I will tell you, one of the things that I was told either before, Linda, but feeling good tonight, by the way, and I’m that because she entertains everybody. I bet she was entertaining every day working or not working. And no, she worked a number of days,” he added.
“But, and she’s such a good entertainer and such a great host that anyone would want her back as soon as we can. I was told even before this that it just it just the time was right. I was able to put the final exclamation points on what needed to be done. And here I am,” Hannity said.
“And finally, for the first time that I can think of in my adult life, I actually have representatives in the state that I’m living in that share my values. I have a governor by the name of Ron DeSantis and Senators Marco Rubio and Senator Rick Scott,” he added.
Hannity concluded: “So I’m feeling a lot better about it, and I’m not going to go through the whys. The how comes because it’s obvious this migration out of the blue states with high taxes, burdensome regulation, high crime, and horrible school districts is real. And if anything, I’m probably late and behind the curve and many others have made the move beforehand.”
“Hannity has regularly hosted his Fox News show from his Long Island compound, which includes a full television studio, except for when he hosts live studio audiences at the Fox News broadcast headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. One can only assume that Hannity and Fox News have the means to fly the top-rated host to and from his Florida residence to continue live shows,” Mediaite reported.
The outlet added: “Hannity is, of course, not the only cable news star to decamp to Florida. Former Fox News star Tucker Carlson regularly hosted his show remotely, either from a compound in rural Maine or an estate on the Western coast of Florida. And anyone who watches MSNBC’s Morning Joe knows that hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski regularly host their show from studios at their home in Jupiter, Florida.”
