Fox News host Sean Hannity is being mocked over his recent move from New York to Florida.
Announcing his relocation under the banner “blue state exodus continues” on his iHeartRadio show on Tuesday, Mr Hannity said: “Tonight we are now broadcasting from my new home, the great free state of Florida.
“Like so many Americans, I left New York for good and I’m now in the state with – let's see – warmer weather, law and order, better education, more freedom, better quality of life and guess what? No state income tax.”
He went on: “I’ve been threatening now to do this for quite a while, but we are now, beginning our first broadcast from my new home and that is in the free state of Florida. I am out. I am done. I’m finished.
“For the first time that I can think of in my adult life, I actually have representatives in the state that I’m living in that share my values,” he added, according to The Hill.
On his radio show, he slammed states dominated by Democrats for supposedly having “high taxes, burdensome regulation, high crime” and “horrible school districts”.
“And if anything, I’m probably late and behind the curve, and many others have made the move beforehand, and there’s not a single person that I know that made a move like this that is not happy that they’ve made it,” he claimed.
But, social media users roasted Mr Hannity for the announcement, instead labelling his relocation a “gift” to New York.
“Wow, what a gift to NY,” one account holder said.
“My list of reasons to leave Florida grows daily,” attorney Ron Filipkowski wrote.
“Florida is the anti-history, anti-woke, anti-black, anti-science anti-LGBTQ state. Hannity has an odd definition of freedom,” Marlene Robertson added.
“Hannity has moved from one remote studio (at his Long Island mansion) to another remote studio,” media reporter Brian Stelter said on X.
Former GOP strategist Tim Miller added: “Wealthy old person moves to Florida: More at 11.”
Sports reporter Ian Hest said: “I’m a native Floridian. I’ve lived here almost my whole life. But these people flooding into our state and taking advantage of us are really poisoning our way of life. We need to build a wall.”
Jon Bauman, the president of Social Security Works PAC and the Vice Chair of the DNC Seniors Council, commented on the “blue state exodus continues” banner, saying, “As if NY isn’t thrilled to get rid of this scumbag”.
Nate Gilbert noted that The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart mocked Mr Hannity for threatening to leave New York all the way back in early 2014.
Palm Beach Daily News reported in April 2021 that Mr Hannity bought a townhouse about three miles from Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s residence and private club.
Mr Hannity reportedly paid $5.3m for the oceanfront property.
After his move was announced on Tuesday, one fellow Floridian wrote on X: “Woke up to this absolutely horrid stench outside. Ugh. Couldn’t figure out what it was. Then I remembered that Sean Hannity has just moved to the state.”
The account of Mrs Betty Bowers, a satirical character portrayed by comedian Deven Greem, chimed in: “So Sean Hannity is flying his private jet to escape his millions-$$$-mansion in New York to go to his new millions-$$$-mansion in Florida to broadcast about how the rich elites don’t care about working-class people like him, right?”
Yet, some social media users sided with Mr Hannity in his desire to leave New York.
Greta Van Susteren, a former colleague of Mr Hannity’s who now works for Newsmax, wrote on X: “This is what New York does not understand w/its high tax rate…the amount of taxes Sean Hannity will save in one year living in Florida will pay for a luxurious home in Florida. And? New York loses that tax revenue. The same is true in DC PLUS DC has a horrible crime situation…”
