Hannity expressed frustration with Fox News for not publishing an ad he cut and appeared to back Meadows's criticism of then-Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, as seen in a trove of 2,319 text messages between the duo from Election Day 2020 to President Joe Biden's inauguration published by CNN on Friday. The text messages were provided to the House committee probing the Capitol riot by Meadows.
"Doing this to try and get ratings will not work in the long run and I am doubtful it is even a short term winning strategy," Meadows texted Hannity on Dec. 6, 2020, with a link to an article about how Wallace corrected a Trump official, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, for citing to Biden as “vice president” instead of “president-elect."
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"I've been at war with them all week. We will talk when I see you. I'm at the party with my kids next Sunday night at 7. Also if this doesn't end the way we want, you and Jay are doing 3 things together. 1- Directing legal strategies vs Biden 2- NC Real estate 3- Other business I talked to Rudy. Thx for helping him," Hannity replied.
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Hannity was inferring plans for the prospect of former President Donald Trump's efforts to challenge the 2020 election failing. Jay appears to be a reference to Jay Sekulow, who had done legal work for Hannity as well as Trump. The text messages were short on details about Hannity's dispute with the network. Two days after sending that text, the prime-time host explained that he had cut an ad that the network did not run.
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"I was screaming about no ads from Labor Day on. I made my own. They never ran it. I'm not pointing fingers. I'm frustrated," he said. It is unclear what ad Hannity was referencing, but there had been a report in a book, Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Bender's Frankly, We Did Win This Election, that said Hannity helped craft an ad for the Trump campaign that the network only ran once. Hannity denied that reporting.
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A few days later, Meadows asked for Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott's number and said he would give her a call.
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"I talked to Jay about this and he agreed. You also need to spend at least half your time doing business with us. And I'm serious. Have you ever talked to Fox? I've been at war with them," Hannity texted Meadows on Dec. 12.