Fox News host Sean Hannity used his opening monologue on Monday night to defend himself against a recent interview with CBS’s Ted Koppel, who called Hannity “bad for America.”
“CBS veteran journalist Ted Koppel said that I, yours truly, Sean Hannity, am bad for America. That’s a pretty severe charge and one that deserves a full-throated response,” Hannity said.
Hannity explained that it all started three weeks ago when he agreed to do an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning,” noting that the sit-down lasted “well over 45 minutes.”
“We discussed in great detail why there is such a great divide in America in politics and in media. Now, in my honest opinion the exchange was actually a very good, substantive give and take,” Hannity said.
The Fox News host said that from a 45-minute interview, CBS only aired only 70 seconds. In the footage that aired, Koppel called Hannity “bad for America” and criticized opinion-based cable news programing.
“I guess people like Ted Koppel feel you, the America people, can’t distinguish between opinion and news,” Hannity said. “Beyond this interview being a total waste of my time, it is a flagrant example of what I call edited, fake news.”
Hannity went on to point out that CBS News is the former home of Dan Rather, and reminded viewers that he was forced to resign after reporting a fake news story.
“Now the produce a package, taking shots at me, all while prominently displaying their dishonesty, their bias and total hypocrisy,” Hannity said. “I was just used as a prop to advance his narrative.”
He continued: “That is edited fake news.
Bill O’Reilly did a segment with Brit Hume on Monday during which they demanded that CBS release the full transcript of the interview. Ex-Fox News contributor and current “The View” co-host Jedediah Bila also defended Hannity on Monday.
“I actually do think he’s good for America in the same way that I think Rachel Maddow is good for America, Bill Maher is good for America… The more opinions the better,” she said.
Check out the video above.