Debbie Schlussel: 7 Facts You May Not Know
Who the heck is Debbie Schlussel? She's a conservative lawyer who frequents talk shows, writes various columns, and makes the media rounds when she can. (Who wouldn't?) According to her website, her critiques focus on radical Islamic extremists and similar issues. She's been published in the New York Post and in major newspapers, and she's appeared on conservative talk radio and TV shows (like Sean Hannity's Hannity & Colmes, and Bill O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor), often critical of liberal political positions.
But why is she in the news now? Here's why.
She says Sean Hannity was 'creepy' but not harassing
Schlussel is in the news right now because of comments she made on Friday, April 24, on a radio show. In that interview, she said she had turned Hannity down when he asked her to come back to his hotel room after she finished taping an appearance on his show. "And then after that, I wasn't booked on the show again. And he called at me and yelled at me," she said in the interview, according to the LA Times.
Over the weekend, multiple news outlets described Schlussel's allegations against Sean Hannity as "sexual harrassment." After Hannity released a statement over the weekend strongly denying her claims and threatening legal action, Schlussel clarified her statement. "Sexual harassment has a special meaning under the law, and I would never accuse [Hannity] of that," Schlussel told LawNewz. She added: "I never thought I was sexually harassed by Sean Hannity. I thought he was weird and creepy."
She might remind you of someone
Before the right had Tomi Lahren, it had Debbie Schlussel–or so Schlussel probably wanted. It's hard to watch clips from her TV appearances, like those above, and not be reminded of Lahren, the right-wing "firebrand" who was recently dropped from Glenn Beck's network, The Blaze, over her stance on abortion rights.
Her Twitter feed and website are not for the easily offended
If you thought comparing Schlussel to "Firebrand" Tomi Lahren was extreme, well, check out her Twitter feed. Whether you agree with her take or not, Schlussel has strong opinions about just about everything. From her contention that Obamacare helped kill retail stores like Macy's, to her claim that riding Uber and Lyft (instead of public transportation like a cab or a bus) will weaken the security of U.S. borders, to things like this:
Schlussel seems to feel her convictions at a deep level, and she is not afraid to show it.
She's a film critic, too
Look out, hot takes incoming! Schlussel has an entire section of her website dedicated to movie reviews, and she isn't afraid to take on the big names. From calling Get Out (which was, by box office standards, the breakout horror hit of the year) a "racist anti-white horror comedy" to declaring critical flop A Dog's Purpose "very touching," she's got your movie needs covered. Oh, and she watches TV, too!
She's definitely a Trump supporter
Just because she doesn't like "creepy" people like Hannity doesn't mean they disagree on everything. Hannity is a big fan of President Trump. Schlussel is, too, and don't you forget it.
But that doesn't mean she agrees with everything Trump does
You don't have to agree with everything someone does, even if you did help vote them into the presidency. When millions of people vote for the same person to lead the country, someone's bound to be disappointed. Heck, we can't even agree on who should win Dancing with the Stars.
She tried to start her own YouTube channel
Like everyone else in the mid-2000s, Schlussel started up her own YouTube channel. And her channel fizzled just like most other channels probably did. Her videos total up to almost 1.7 million views, and she's currently sitting at just under 500 subscribers. But it doesn't appear that her subscribers are getting much these days: Schlussel hasn't posted a video in five years.