Sean Hannity gives Roy Moore an ultimatum: Straighten out his sexual misconduct story in 24 hours or quit

Sean Hannity gives Roy Moore an ultimatum
(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/Fox News)

Fox News host Sean Hannity has been kind to Roy Moore, the GOP Senate nominee in Alabama, but the Roy Moore scandal hasn't been kind to Hannity.

The Republican National Committee has pulled support for Moore, and a number of Republicans — including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan — have urged him to drop out of the race, calling accusations that he initiated physical relationships with teenage girls as young as 14 credible; even Stephen Bannon appears to be wavering. Hannity has held firm, but on Tuesday night, he gave Moore an ultimatum:

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"For me, the judge has 24 hours," Hannity said on Tuesday's show. "You must immediately and fully come up with a satisfactory explanation for your inconsistencies that I just showed. You must remove any doubt. If you can't do this, then Judge Moore needs to get out of this race."

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A number of companies have pulled advertising from Hannity's show (or not?) due to his coverage of the allegations against Moore, including an interview with Moore and segments expressing doubt about the charges. Mercedes Colwin, a Fox News contributor and partner at the large law firm Gordon Rees, stepped down from all management roles at the firm after suggesting on a Nov. 9 Hannity segment that for "a lot of these women" who come forward with sexual abuse allegations, "it's all about money," while victims of sexual predators are "very few and far between." Colwin has since said her comments came out wrong.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

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.