Before you get too excited about Sean Hannity siding against the police in the hideous death of George Floyd, consider the likely motives and the fact that Hannity never expressed much sympathy for the protesters or the black community at large which has had enough of being senselessly killed.
Of course, it’s a good thing that Hannity unequivocally criticized the police and, unlike Tucker Carlson in the previous hour, did not downplay what happened. Even though we had to listen to Hannity repeatedly boast about his martial arts training:
But if you look in particular at this video, this is what I don't like as somebody -- again, I've been training in martial arts for seven straight years. If, for example, somebody's carotid artery, if you hit it hard enough right here, they will stumble and fall to the ground. It is a targeted area.
There is a phrase in martial arts called choking somebody out. If you put them in a chokehold, get these two areas, the two carotid arteries, they will be choked. For that length of time, it is impossible for somebody to survive that. That is the most sensitive area of somebody's neck.
…
The officer has his hands on his pocket with the knee on his neck. The lack of training here is breathtaking. There is no evidence right here in this part of the tape prior to the neck incident. And we'll go back to that video in a second, this is not a violent crime we're talking about. We're talking about some suspected forgery of some kind.
Now, I’d like to think that Hannity and, later, guest Dan Bongino were just offering their opinions out of a love for truth and justice. But given the obsession with the phony wrongs of Obamagate – well, I have to remain skeptical.
And while I’ll give Trump’s BFFs the benefit of the doubt, I’ll just point out that they happened to be on the same page as Dear Leader:
At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020
....I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement. My heart goes out to George’s family and friends. Justice will be served!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020
Also, Minnesota just happens to be a swing state likely targeted by the Trump campaign. It’s probably good politics to come out on the obviously right side of this issue. And if you don’t think Team Trump won’t use this incident to point fingers at the Democrats running Minnesota and Minneapolis, as Rush Limbaugh did today, then I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
But here’s another thing: As awful as Floyd’s death is, it’s part of a much bigger picture that includes the recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. In all his talk about martial arts, Hannity never indicated any sympathy for the black community and how sick and tired they must be of getting killed for living while black.