Fox News host Sean Hannity has sent his detractors packing with a schedule of interviews with presidential heavyweights. As the 2016 Republican presidential primaries draw near, Hannity’s increasing clout seems to disprove rumors over the last two years that he was losing influence in media and politics.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who announced his campaign for president Tuesday, is scheduled for a same-day interview on Hannity’s show. Paul is only the second Republican to make his campaign official — and he’s also the second to grant an immediate post-announcement interview to Hannity.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in late March became the first Republican to declare his 2016 intentions to seek the White House. That night, he sat down with Hannity.
“Part of the reason he is still a kingmaker is because he has enormous platforms on both TV and radio,” said Andrew Kirell, a former Fox News producer who is now editor-in-chief of Mediaite, a cable news-oriented website. “Hannity has at least 12 million weekly cumulative radio listeners, on top of his million-and-a-half [nightly] cable news viewers.”
Kirell said Hannity, who is known to stay within bounds when talking with Republicans, is still seen as a strong voice among conservative voters, even as his ratings have dropped among younger viewers. Last Thursday, CNN’s Don Lemon, a competitor in the 10 p.m. time slot, beat Hannity in the coveted 25-54 age demographic — a rare bright spot for the pioneer news network, which regularly trails Fox in ratings.
“He still holds a lot of sway with devout conservatives and that’s an important base [the GOP presidential candidates] will try to win over in the primaries,” Kirell said.
Hannity’s megaphone this election season hasn’t been limited to his Fox and radio shows. He was also tapped by the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in February to give a speech and host on-stage Q&As with Cruz and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, another likely presidential candidate.
After Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, also likely Republican White House contenders, delivered speeches at the conference, each of them sat down for interviews with Hannity. The conference is is attended by thousands of conservatives from all over the United States.
At the conference, Hannity suggested in a short conversation with the Washington Examiner that he may even host a Republican primary debate.
“I’ve got stuff going on, yeah,” he said at the time.
Fox News, which is scheduled by the Republican National Committee to host three primary debates, did not return a request for comment.
