Sean Hannity reassures audience that "being a felon is not a disqualification" for Trump to be president

black and white image of Sean Hannity; clip art microphone; audio wave graphic

From the August 15, 2022, edition of Premiere Radio Network's The Sean Hannity Show 
 

SEAN HANNITY (HOST): And if they're -- if they think that they're going to somehow make this about Donald Trump and prevent him from running from office, well they obviously have not read something called the Constitution. Because the Constitution is pretty clear on what qualifies one to be able to run for president.

In other words, okay, even if Section 2071 in the federal penal code has penalty provisions upon the conviction that a defendant shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States. Okay, but we do have something called the Constitution. And the qualifications for one to be president of the United States that is very clear and enumerated. And you can't alter it by any statute precisely because our framers in their wisdom didn't want the executive branch dominated by the legislature, as would happen if Congress could disqualify any incumbent or potential president simply by passing a law.

And the Constitution's qualifications are simple, you got to be over 35 and a natural born citizen. Being a felon is not a disqualification. So even crimes potentially far more serious than what is being alleged, potential mishandling of classified information, doesn't stop somebody from seeking the presidency.

Now what does disqualify them that is also enumerated in the Constitution. They do provide a basis for doing that. And that is the conviction by the U.S. Senate on the -- on an impeachment article voted on by the House.



Again, that's prescribed by the Constitution. You can't change that by a mere statute. So I'm not sure exactly where they're headed with all of this.