(HorizonPost.com) – Fox News host Sean Hannity backtracked on previous statements while testifying under oath. He reportedly said that he did not believe former President Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen for “one second.”
Hannity was deposed earlier this year as part of a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the network brought forward by Dominion Voting Systems. Dominion alleges that the company was harmed when it was suggested they were giving Trump votes to Biden.
Dominion also alleges that negative coverage of their company was a way for the network to bring back viewers after they had called Arizona too early, according to NPR. After Trump reportedly denounced the network, millions of viewers were no longer watching.
“I did not believe it for one second,” Hannity testified.
Hannity reportedly endorsed Trump before the 2016 election and was seen as his interlocutor. The host was also in communication with former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows leading up to the 2020 election. Meadows asked Hannity over text to promote voting in key states, such as North Carolina, Nevada, and Arizona.
“Yes sir,” Hannity responds.
After the election, Hannity, along with Jeanine Piro, gave airtime to Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell who claimed that the software used by Dominion was manipulating votes. She also blasted Democrats for helping her review information regarding the company.
Meade Cooper, Fox News’ executive vice president, also testified that she never believed the lies about Dominion.
To win, Dominion must reportedly prove that Fox News knew the election claims were false but broadcasted them anyway. Hannity’s comments after the election are what the company is using to build its case. In other texts with Meadows, Hannity allegedly said that Trump did actually lose.
Fox is mounting a defense arguing that the company cannot prove malicious intent as they were reporting on a newsworthy event coming from a newsworthy source—the president.
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