The ever-closer relationship between Fox, and especially Hannity, and Trump is another example of this. Far beyond his pose of being a simple opinion journalist, Hannity is a close adviser to the president—and they even share a relationship with the same somewhat dubious attorney. As a result, when a pinch like the current one comes, Hannity has a special interest in leaping to defend Trump and Cohen, because he, too, is implicated. Hannity’s concealment of this fact from his fans is unlikely to cost him audience in the immediate run, but these compromises erode Fox’s ability to function independently of the Trump White House. It’s a Faustian bargain, and the price is much greater than 10 bucks for legal advice.