Anthony Weiner has gone from convicted sex offender to radio talk show host, but Sean Hannity is not convinced he’s changed.
On his Fox News show on Monday night, Mr Hannity invited Mr Weiner and Curtis Sliwa on to discuss their new WABC radio show, “The Left Versus The Right.” He began with a tough question for Mr Weiner.
“I guess the first question that I have is – you pled guilty, Anthony, to sending obscene materials to a young girl, a 15-year-old girl,” Mr Hannity said. “Have you changed? Are you a different person?”
“Well, I think so,” Mr Weiner replied. “I don’t think anyone can go through that kind of experience – and I think this is probably true of people who have been through other types of adversity – I don’t think you go through that type of experience and don’t emerge changed.”
Mr Hannity was clearly not satisfied with that answer.
“Wait a minute,” the host interjected. “That’s an obscure answer – ‘I think so.’ Either you know in your heart if you changed or you know in your heart if you didn’t change. Can you assure people – because you are going to now try and draw in an audience, and they’re going to want to know if you’ve changed or not. Have you changed?”
“They can judge for themselves,” Mr Weiner responded.
Mr Weiner was a US congressman for 12 years, representing New York’s 9th District. In 2011, he resigned after admitting he’d sent sexual photos of himself to several women over Twitter. Two years later, he attempted a comeback in New York City’s mayoral election, but his campaign imploded when yet another woman revealed he had sexted her only months earlier.
In 2016, reports emerged that Mr Weiner had sent sexual photos to a 15-year-old girl. The next year, he pleaded guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor, and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. He was released early in 2019.
On Monday night, Mr Hannity prodded the disgraced former congressman to explain how that experience had reformed him, or to prove somehow that he deserved a second chance. Mr Weiner wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“I’m not out to persuade you or anyone else that I’ve changed,” he said. “I’m not trying to make someone like me, or someone be persuaded of any particular outlook on me. We are going to have some conversations about things going on in New York City and other places, and hopefully people will tune in to the show, but I’m not terribly interested in trying to make them feel any differently about me.”
