Sean Hannity, Jake Tapper FEUD on Twitter after article says MRC decided not to give Hannity big award

by The Right Scoop

Jake Tapper wrote an article for CNN this morning explaining how the Media Research Center, at the behest of the only son of William F. Buckley, decided to retract their William F. Buckley Award they were going to give to Hannity and give it to someone else.

He also pointed out that the MRC created a face-saving excuse that Hannity could use to explain him not getting the award.

Here’s the article:

CNN – Fox News Channel star anchor Sean Hannity will no longer receive the conservative Media Research Center’s William F. Buckley Award for Media Excellence at its September 21 gala, sources familiar with the situation tell CNN.

Buckley, the founder of the National Review, who died in 2008, was hailed in his day as “arguably the most important public intellectual in the United States.” Giving an award in his name to Hannity — a pugnacious talk radio host who has shared conspiracy theories on his popular cable news show — had caused hand wringing among some conservatives.

It also caused distress among Buckley’s family — in particular his only child, best-selling author Christopher Buckley.

A source familiar with the situation tells CNN that Christopher Buckley “expressed great dismay” at the announcement that the award would go to Hannity, who has spent a great deal of time insulting conservative intellectuals on Twitter, particularly since he became a strong supporter of Donald Trump.

Buckley, sources say, called the Media Research Center and expressed his disapproval. Sources tell CNN that the MRC acquiesced and will no longer give the award to him. Hannity has since been removed from the gala website.

Sources tell CNN that the MRC leadership discussed ways to allow Hannity to save face by acting as if a scheduling conflict would prevent him from accepting the award.

“It’s my understanding there was a scheduling conflict,” Ryan Moy, a spokesman for the MRC, told CNN.

A source familiar with the situation tells CNN that Christopher Buckley said of the concocted scheduling excuse: “perhaps Mr. Hannity has been offered the Ronald Reagan Great Communicator Award on the same evening and had decided to leverage upwards.”

The MRC’s founder, Brent Bozell, is William F. Buckley’s nephew.

Through a Fox News Channel spokesperson, Hannity said he is unable to attend the event that night and be there in person to accept the award.

Hannity responded to the article on Twitter, attacking ‘Fake News Jake’:

Jake Tapper subsequently responded, pointing out Hannity’s attacks:

Hannity hits back calling Tapper a liberal hack:

Tapper decides to try and end the Twitter argument by noting he didn’t personally attack Hannity:

UPDATE:

Brent Bozell said this on Twitter:


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