Fox News host Sean Hannity says he moved to 'the free state of Florida' from New York

Conservative firebrand Sean Hannity has moved to Florida, he said on his radio show Tuesday.

Hannity already owned a home in Palm Beach, north of the Miami and Fort Lauderdale area and just a few miles from Donald Trump's residence at The Mar-a-Lago Club, as reported by the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network.

But on "The Sean Hannity Show" by iHeartRadio, he opened the Jan. 2 episode from "our new home, or my new home, which is the free state of Florida."

He said he was drawn to Florida, in part, by its conservative political climate as compared to New York, the longtime home of “The Sean Hannity Show.” He said he "(appreciates)" Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Rick Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio.

Apparently, it's been a warm welcome in Florida for Hannity.  

"It's funny because I actually went out a number of days and met a lot of people," Hannity said to a guest on the show. "There wasn't one person that didn't like me. I'm used to being hated everywhere I go, so it was a refreshing change of pace."

Sean Hannity paid $5.3 million for Palm Beach home

Hannity, a prolific real estate investor, did not say exactly where in Florida the show is now based.

Hannity bought his Palm Beach townhouse in April 2021, when he paid a recorded $5.3 million for it.

But Palm Beach law would prevent him from broadcasting from that residence, an official confirmed with the Palm Beach Daily News late Tuesday afternoon.

The town does not allow businesses to operate out of private homes, Palm Beach Town Council President Margaret Zeidman told the Palm Beach Daily News.

He does not have the Palm Beach townhouse homesteaded as his primary residence in the latest Palm Beach County property-tax rolls. 

Sean Hannity's Florida home:Fox’s Hannity buys townhome about 3 miles from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago on Palm Beach

The late Rush Limbaugh once broadcast his own conservative radio show from his Palm Beach oceanfront estate but ended up renting commercial space for a studio across town to comply with the law. 

Who is Sean Hannity?

Sean Hannity is the host of Fox News' "Hannity," running primetime during the week.

His biography on Fox News's website calls him "one of the most prominent and influential conservative voices in the country."

In July 2023, Hannity moderated a town hall with Trump during which he let the former president air grievances about his mounting legal problems.

Hannity’s radio show is nationally syndicated on the iHeartRadio network.

Fox News Media told USA TODAY Wednesday that Hannity will continue to host his show and return to New York on occasion for live audience programs.

In a "rough script" provided by Fox News Media, Hannity said blue state policies were part of the reason he left.

"If you're leaving one of these blue states like New York or Illinois or New Jersey or California, and you're going to red states like Texas or Tennessee or the Carolinas or Florida, where I am now, where my new home is now, just don't bring your crazy left-wing politics with you," Hannity said. "Leave that at home, because that's probably one of the reasons you're leaving those states."

Contributing: Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY

Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate in his weekly “Beyond the Hedges” column. He welcomes tips about real estate news on the island. Emaildhofheinz@pbdailynews.com, call 561-820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz.