On Fox News, Hannity swears he's not comparing Trump to George Floyd, Tucker Carlson attacks Elmo

Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson — (Image credit: Screenshots/Twitter/Fox News)

Sean Hannity did not compare President Trump to George Floyd — the 46-year-old black man buried Tuesday, two weeks after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes until he died — Hannity made clear on his Fox News show Tuesday night.

In the lead-up, Carlson argued that "trolls" and "mostly faceless political agitators who exist primarily online" suddenly "have immense power over all of us," pulling the strings of our "weak leaders." His example was Elmo, and the message Carlson thinks children are taking away from learning that black people are treated differently in America is that "America is a very bad place and it's your fault. So, no matter what happens, no matter what they do to you when you grow up, you have no right to complain."

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Carlson's show was No. 2 on all of basic cable last week, trailing only Hannity, but their most powerful and enduring fan, President Trump, is now flirting with and live-tweeting One America News Network, Fox's fringier competitor.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.