Sean Hannity's move to Florida mocked (2024)

Sean Hannity has moved from New York to Florida, with the Fox News host's relocation causing a stir on social media.

During his iHeartRadio show on Tuesday, the conservative commentator said the move was politically-motivated.

"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," Hannity said.

The 62-year-old said Florida officials, such as Governor Ron DeSantis and Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, motivated his decision, along with the state's conservative policies.

Hannity also claimed he is "done" with his chiefly Democratic home state of New York, where he has spent most of his life and career.

"Finally 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 said, before claiming that principally Democratic states have "high taxes, burdensome regulation, high crime [and] horrible school districts."

"If anything, I'm probably late and behind the curve," Hannity continued. "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."

Newsweek has reached out to Sean Hannity for comment via Instagram.

Hannity may be pleased with his decision, but many social media users mocked the announcement.

"Good riddance @seanhannity you pathetic loser," said Leonidas K on X, formerly Twitter.

"Wow, what a gift to NY," said Johnny.

"It's great when the trash takes itself out," said @levy_charlene.

"It's just as easy to lie and spew hate from Florida!" commented Helen Smith.

"I love that old rich guys have now tried to make moving to Florida some revolutionary act rather than something old people from New York have been doing for a hundred years," said Andrew Neumann.

However, others supported Hannity's move, with CeCe writing: "Good for you Hannity."

"What took so long? You are gonna love Florida!" said Slim Pikens.

Since DeSantis was elected as governor in 2019, Florida legislation has become increasingly conservative. Running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, DeSantis described the state's policies as the "blueprint" for America should he be elected.

His most divisive policies include a ban on gender-affirming care for minors and the "Bathroom Bill," which prevents people from using bathrooms or changing facilities that do not align with their sex at birth.

A strict six-week abortion law was enacted following the repeal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, while $12 million has been set aside to transport migrants from Florida to other states.

DeSantis has been in a public feud with Disney since March 2022, when the company's former CEO Bob Chapek slammed Florida's "Don't Say Gay Bill," which restricts the teaching of LGBTQ+ issues from kindergarten to third grade.

In response, DeSantis requested that Walt Disney World's local governing and tax privileges be removed. Florida granted Disney "special status" in 1967, influencing the entertainment giant's decision to build the theme park in the state.

Are New Yorkers Really Moving to Red States?

Hannity isn't the only New Yorker to move to a "red state."

The latest figures from the Census Bureau show that over 200,000 residents moved away from New York in 2022, the biggest exodus in the country.

But are New Yorkers really heading for majority-Republican states as Hannity claims?

Research by the Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) explored the top five locations that New Yorkers were moving to and discovered that Florida was the top choice at 17 percent.

However, second place went to blue state New Jersey, accounting for 14 percent. The next most popular choice was Democratic Connecticut, with 9 percent of New Yorkers relocating to the Nutmeg State, while 6 percent made famously liberal California their home.

Rounding out the top five was the swing state of Pennsylvania, where 8 percent of New Yorkers went.

According to the FPI, the high cost of living is the primary reason New Yorkers are moving away, particularly soaring housing costs, high taxes and unaffordable childcare.