Conservative commentator Sean Hannity is urging President Donald Trump to fire any deep-state government members who don’t align with his political motives.
“It’s time for the Trump administration to begin to purge these saboteurs before it’s too late,” the Fox News host said on the Thursday, March 9, broadcast of “Hannity.”
He said it’s imperative that the move happens at the beginning of Trump’s presidency to end White House press leaks. Hannity blamed President Obama’s executive order revision during his last days in office that allows “widespread sharing” of government data across 17 federal agencies.
After noting California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter and Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King’s support for a removal of the deep state, Hannity turned his attention to WikiLeaks. The nonprofit released thousands of documents Tuesday, March 7, saying the CIA is able to use sophisticated software to access Americans’ smartphones, computers and TVs.
“We can’t confirm that any of this is actually being practiced,” Hannity said. “But, we need to start asking serious questions if we want privacy in this country.”
Hannity also referred to his January interview with WikiLeaks founder and editor-in-chief Julian Assange, who assured him Russia was not the source of his leaks.
“Every holdover from the Obama administration, they need to go,” he concluded. “And, a thorough investigation of leakers needs to be conducted. And people who conducted felonies, violated the Espionage Act — like in the case of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn — they need to be prosecuted and all of those who aren’t actively working to fix the country need to be shown the door. It’s hurting a lot of people.”