Republican Sen. Ben Sasse thinks that much of what is wrong with political media today is embodied by one man: Sean Hannity.

Over the course of twenty pages in his new book, titled Them: Why We Hate Each Other—and How to Heal, the Republican senator said the Fox News primetime star is the foremost example of how—in his estimation—media personalities willfully drive a wedge between Americans of different political persuasions. 

“He explained the core objective of his two different programs to the New York Times,” Sasse wrote, referring to Hannity’s television and radio programs. “It’s not to promote a particular conservative agenda, or to encourage American patriotism, or even to offer coherent arguments against liberalism. His core cause is to rage.”

Not many years ago, Sasse was beloved by conservative media personalities like Hannity.

During his bid for Nebraska Senate in 2014, The Weekly Standard dubbed Sasse’s conservative health-care positions “the real deal.” He also earned support from tea party-aligned groups, and Hannity himself predicted that if Sasse won his race he would “instantly become a leader of ideas and solutions in the Senate.” ...