MediaBarack Obama Michelle Obamasean hannity

Sean Hannity Claims Right-Wingers Were Always Super Nice To The Obamas

“Nobody picked on Malia and Sasha... nobody picked on Michelle Obama."
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By 

Overnight Editor, HuffPost

Sean Hannity claims he and other conservative voices never “picked on” former first lady Michelle Obama or her children.

On Thursday, Hannity took to the air to defend White House counselor Kellyanne Conway from a sexist joke made by Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.); a joke that was denounced by people from both the left and right.  But while he was on the topic, Hannity also claimed that he and other right-wing media figures were extremely kind to the family of former President Barack Obama.  

In comments posted online by Media Matters, Hannity said: 

“Nobody picked on Malia and Sasha, no conservative that I know of. Nobody picked on Michelle Obama except for the stupid statements, ‘for the first time in my adult life I’m proud of my country.’ She inserted herself into the campaign. If she’s going to say something like that then she deserves to be criticized.”

In truth, Hannity and other conservatives repeatedly criticized the former first lady and the Obama children. Last year, he apologized for sharing a fake story on Michelle Obama from Gateway Pundit, a site known for spreading false information. He also complained about the Obama daughters’ spring break trips in 2013, saying taxpayers were funding “their luxurious excursions and much more.”

Hannity has so far been silent on the cost to the taxpayers for travel by the Trump family. 

Last year, Hannity offered to charter a plane to send the Obamas to “Canada, Kenya or Indonesia” ― as long as they didn’t come back. In addition, other voices in right-wing media circuit have routinely criticized Obama’s family, with both Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck mocking Malia Obama in 2010. 

Beck later apologized. 

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Sasha, Malia, Michelle & Barack Obama
Malia, Sasha, Michelle, Barack(01 of31)
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President Barack Obama, with daughters Malia and Sasha and first lady Michelle Obama, watch musical performances at the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014, on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Malia, Sasha, Michelle, Barack(02 of31)
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President Barack Obama leans over to talk with his daughter Sasha as they sit with first lady Michelle Obama and Malia and watch the performances at the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014, on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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President Barack Obama, joined by his daughters Malia and Sasha, speaks at the White House on Nov. 26, 2014, during the presidential turkey pardon ceremony, an annual Thanksgiving tradition. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Barack, Malia, Michelle(04 of31)
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President Barack Obama bike rides with daughter Malia and first lady Michelle Obama on Aug. 15, 2014, on the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest bike path outside of West Tisbury, Mass., during the Obama family vacation on the island of Martha's Vineyard. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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President Barack Obama -- with first lady Michelle Obama, and their daughter Malia -- waves as they arrive at the White House in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015, from a family vacation in Hawaii. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Barack and Malia(06 of31)
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President Barack Obama eats shave ice with daughter Malia Obama at Island Snow, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, in Kailua, in Hawaii during the Obama family vacation. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sasha, Barack, Michelle, Malia(07 of31)
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President Barack Obama, his daughter Sasha, the first lady Michelle Obama and their other daughter Malia disembark Air Force One after arriving at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for their annual family Christmas vacation Friday, Dec. 19, 2014, in Honolulu. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Malia, Sasha, Barack, Michelle(08 of31)
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The first family -- Malia Obama, Sasha Obama, President Barack Obama, and first lady Michelle Obama -- join performers Aloe Blacc, Darius Rucker and Rita Ora on the stage during the taping of the annual 2014 Christmas in Washington presentation at the National Building Museum in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Malia, Barack, Sasha, Michelle(09 of31)
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President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha arrive at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu on December 19, 2014, at the start of their annual Christmas vacation in Hawaii. (credit:NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images)
Malia, Sasha, Barack, Michelle(10 of31)
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Malia Obama, Sasha Obama, President Barack Obama, and first lady Michelle Obama speak onstage at TNT Christmas in Washington 2014 at the National Building Museum on December 14, 2014 in Washington, DC. (credit:Kevin Mazur via Getty Images)
Sasha, Malia, Michelle(11 of31)
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First lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia walk across the tarmac before boarding Air Force One prior to their departure from Andrews Air Force Base, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014. The first family traveled to Westchester County, N.Y., to attend the wedding ceremony of White House chef Sam Kass and MSNBC host Alex Wagner. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Malia(12 of31)
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Malia Obama participates in a service project at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 19, 2015, in Washington. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Michelle, Barack, Malia(13 of31)
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President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk with their daughter Malia across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014, following their arrival on Marine One. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Malia and Barack(14 of31)
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President Barack Obama waves to reporters as he walks with his daughter Malia on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Michelle, Sasha, Malia, Barack(15 of31)
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President Barack Obama speaks with Col. John C. Millard, Commander, 89th Airlift Wing, accompanied by his daughters, Malia and Sasha, and first lady Michelle Obama, upon their arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Md., on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014, en route to Westchester County, N.Y., to attend the wedding ceremony of White House Chef Sam Kass and MSNBC host Alex Wagner. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Malia, Barack, Michelle(16 of31)
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President Barack Obama walks from Marine One with Vice Commander of the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrew Air Force Base Col. Preston Williamson IV, followed by his daughter Malia Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Christine Williamson, to board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014. en route to a family vacation on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sasha and Barack(17 of31)
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Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Barack(18 of31)
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First lady Michelle Obama, Malia Obama, Sasha Obama and President Barack Obama react as they light the 2014 National Christmas Tree during the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sasha and Barack(19 of31)
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President Barack Obama and his daughter Sasha Obama leave the White House for their holiday vacation December 19, 2014, in Washington. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
Malia and Sasha(20 of31)
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Malia Obama and Sasha Obama speak onstage at TNT Christmas in Washington 2014 at the National Building Museum on December 14, 2014 in Washington. (credit:Theo Wargo via Getty Images)
Sasha and Malia(21 of31)
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First daughters Sasha Obama, left, and Malia Obama look back for their parents as they walk out of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014, and head to Marine One. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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First lady Michelle Obama dances with performers during her visit to an ancient city wall with her daughters Malia and Sasha in Xi'an, in northwestern China's Shaanxi province, Monday, March 24, 2014. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Michelle, Malia, Sasha(25 of31)
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First lady Michelle Obama hugs her daughters Malia and Sasha when they watch a performance during their visit to an ancient city wall in Xi'an, in northwestern China's Shaanxi province, Monday, March 24, 2014. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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