Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Politics/National
NationalNews

Sean Hannity and Juan Williams Downplay ‘Sensationalized’ Report Of Gun Being Pulled

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: | Updated on September 11, 2018 CommentsComments (0)

Fox News’ Sean Hannity and Juan Williams denied a report saying Hannity aimed a gun at Williams after a heated on-air discussion in the fall.

Three sources claimed to CNN Money Thursday, March 16, that after the TV personalities went off air, Hannity whipped out a firearm and turned on its laser sight, which landed on Williams. The insiders said, “Hannity was just showing off” but the action made Williams and on-set personnel concerned.

Colleagues reportedly told Fox News executives about the incident and it was sent to network co-president Bill Shine, who is a longtime friend of Hannity’s. A spokesperson for Fox News told CNN Money the legal and human resources departments took on the referral.

“The situation was thoroughly investigated and it was found that no one was put in any danger,” the spokesperson told the website in a statement.

Hannity clarified the October 2016 incident, saying he was only showing his “good friend” his gun, which he has been trained to handle since childhood.

“While discussing the issue of firearms, I showed my good friend Juan Williams my unloaded firearm in a professional and safe manner for educational purposes only,” Hannity said in a statement. “Every precautionary procedure that I have been trained in since the age of 11 was followed. I’ve had a conceal-carry permit in five states for all of my adult life. Any other interpretation of this is outright false reporting.”

Williams also spoke highly of his friendship with Hannity in his statement, which he also tweeted Thursday night.

“This incident is being sensationalized — everything was under total control throughout and I never felt like I was put in harm’s way,” Williams said. “It was clear that Sean put my safety and security above all else and we continue to be great friends.”

Hannity spent the night maintaining his statement after CNN Money reporter Dylan Byer said he stands by his article, which Hannity called “fake news.”

https://twitter.com/seanhannity/status/842567537070096384

https://twitter.com/seanhannity/status/842572280282697728

Hannity also defended himself against doubters in the early hours of Friday, March 17.

https://twitter.com/seanhannity/status/842588860521431042

https://twitter.com/seanhannity/status/842600728677908480

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top