Two modest cable news egos were at each other’s throats Friday.
It started after MSNBC’s Joe Scarbough called President-elect Donald Trump “dead wrong on Russia,” and said Fox News’ Sean Hannity’s interview with Julian Assange was “repulsive.”
Hannity, naturally, took to Twitter to respond, in part by accusing Scarborough of secretly gunning for a job at his network.
What ensued was an exemplar of restraint and respect.
Butting into a discussion between Scarborough and Hillary Clinton’s campaign press secretary, Brian Fallon, Hannity accused Scarborough of betraying journalistic integrity, conservatism, and his employer.
Hannity also seemed to be responding to comments Scarborough made on the “Morning Joe” broadcast Friday morning, when he called Hannity’s recent interview with Wikileaks founder a “bromance” and “repulsive.”
Joe, what’s really repulsive is the pathetically low ratings you have on network that colluded with @HillaryClinton. https://t.co/jQ6FEjH8gJ
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) January 6, 2017
Joe if me asking @wikileaks questions is so repulsive why did you use that information on your low rated show? https://t.co/jQ6FEjH8gJ
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) January 6, 2017
Joe, Is it a betrayal and repulsive that you keep asking Fox to hire you without telling your current employer? https://t.co/jQ6FEjH8gJ
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) January 6, 2017
Hannity also mentioned Scarborough’s appearance at Donald Trump’s New Year’s Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Scarborough has said he was there to arrange an interview with Trump.
Joe, so did you go to @realDonaldTrump s New Year’s Eve party or not? Is lying “repulsive”? https://t.co/jQ6FEjH8gJ
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) January 6, 2017
Joe, you say you are a “real conservative”! Was NBC’s coverage of the election last year “repulsive” to you? Are you proud of MSNBC? https://t.co/jQ6FEjH8gJ
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) January 6, 2017
So Mr “repulsive Joe” why didn’t NBC go interview @wikileaks? By the way at Fox (where u want to work) we let the audience decide!!! https://t.co/jQ6FEjH8gJ
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) January 6, 2017
The only thing that is really “repulsive” is you calling yourself a “conservative”. You are the poster child for “establishment”. https://t.co/jQ6FEjH8gJ
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) January 6, 2017
Ok enough for now “Repulsive Joe”. I have my radio show to do. How is your radio show doing? https://t.co/jQ6FEjH8gJ
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) January 6, 2017
Hannity then re-tweeted well-wishers:
@seanhannity Why would Joe want Fox to hire him? That’s expanded edition of his radio show is going to be announced any day now.
— johnny dollar (@johnnydollar01) January 6, 2017
And I don’t block people https://t.co/pasKpWhlpI
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) January 6, 2017
So far, Scarborough has not fired back.
