Sean Hannity stokes paranoia by claiming a 'soft coup is underway' to remove Trump from office
Fox News' Sean Hannity told his viewers Tuesday night that a "soft coup is underway" in America "in an attempt to overturn November's election results."
"Sinister forces quickly aligning, in what is becoming now, in my mind, a clear and present danger," Hannity went on, adding: "Here in America, we are at a turning point tonight with forces now forming an alliance to try and remove President Trump from office. It's that serious."
Hannity's warning isn't wholly original; in March, radio host Rush Limbaugh claimed a "silent coup" is being waged against Trump. "There is the execution of an attempt at a peaceful coup," Limbaugh said at the time. "A peaceful coup to oust Donald Trump is what we are witnessing. It's been orchestrated by Obama and the Democrat Party. It's that simple."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But a warning to all considering crying "coup": The accusations easily fly the other direction as well. Historian Timothy Snyder told Salon in May that it is "pretty much inevitable" that Trump tries to stage a coup to overthrow democracy, while U.S. News & World Report's Austin Sarat called Trump's dismissal of FBI Director James Comey a "slow-motion coup d'etat."
-
Heated Rivalry, Bridgerton and why sex still sells on TVTalking Point Gen Z – often stereotyped as prudish and puritanical – are attracted to authenticity
-
Sean Bean brings ‘charisma’ and warmth to Get BirdingThe Week Recommends Surprise new host of RSPB’s birdwatching podcast is a hit
-
Film reviews: ‘Send Help’ and ‘Private Life’Feature An office doormat is stranded alone with her awful boss and a frazzled therapist turns amateur murder investigator
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
