Fox News host Sean Hannity on his show Wednesday night sarcastically advised witnesses in special counsel Robert Mueller
Robert Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probe MORE's investigation to "follow Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonTrump tweets video montage of people saying he couldn't win presidency Baseless attacks on Robert Mueller must end to protect our democracy Ex-NATO commander: Trump right to demand NATO members pay more for defense MORE's lead" and destroy their personal phones before handing them over to prosecutors.
Hannity's comments — he said he was kidding during the same telecast — followed a report by CNBC that Mueller's team had asked witnesses in its probe to turn over their personal phones for examination of encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp, Dust and Signal.
The Fox host lambasted Mueller's "pitbull" team for the tactic of demanding that witnesses turn over phones and all encrypted apps, along with the messages and emails within them.
Hannity then made a comparison to Clinton, whose use of a private email server when she served as secretary of State prompted an FBI investigation and has been the subject of frequent criticism on his show.
"Maybe Mueller's witnesses, I don't know," Hannity said on air. "If I advised them to follow Hillary Clinton’s lead, delete all your emails and then acid-wash your emails and hard drives on the phones, then take your phones and bash them with a hammer to little itsy bitsy pieces, use BleachBit, remove the sim cards and then take the pieces and hand them over to Robert Mueller, and say, Hillary Rodham Clinton, this is equal justice under the law."
Hannity later said that he was kidding in repeating advice that witnesses should follow Clinton's lead and destroy their phones before giving them to Mueller.
"Mueller wants everyone's cellphones. My advice to them, not really, kidding, bad advice, would be, follow Hillary's lead. Delete them, acid wash them, bust them up, take out the SIM cards and say here Mr. Mueller, here," Hannity said, "I'm following Hillary's lead."
Hannity is a closely watched television host in the Trump era given his closeness to the president. President Trump
Donald John TrumpMichelle Wolf in July Fourth salute: 'God bless abortions and God bless America' Graham: Trump's Supreme Court picks 'all winners' Man arrested after allegedly threatening to kill Trump supporters, GOP lawmaker MORE is known to watch the show, and the two reportedly talk frequently.
Mueller's request that witnesses turn over phones and messaging apps follows a court filing from Mueller's team accusing former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort
Paul John ManafortTrump declares that public opinion has 'turned strongly against' Mueller Ex-GOP majority leader: Republicans must protect Mueller Manafort requests his trial be moved, argues Northern Virginia is too liberal MORE of attempted witness tampering — in part by using encrypted messaging apps. Mueller asked the court on Monday to revoke or revise Manafort's release conditions, including his bond and house arrest, in response to the court filing.
More than 30,000 of Clinton's emails during the FBI investigation of her use of a private email server were found to have been destroyed.
Clinton has said that the emails were deleted "because they were personal and private about matters that I believed were within the scope of my personal privacy."
She said her team had gone through her emails and had turned everything connected to work to the State Department. The FBI, however, later recovered thousands of emails and determined that many of them were related to Clinton's work.
This story has been updated and corrected to reflect Hannity's tone.
