Watch: Geraldo says Hannity influenced Trump’s choice to fire U.S. attorneys, talks to Trump daily

During an appearance "Fox and Friends" Saturday, Geraldo Rivera, Fox News roaming correspondent-at-large, referred to Sean Hannity as “the second-most powerful person in the country” and claimed Hannity has had a significant impact on President Donald Trump’s policies.

In response to a question about Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ call for the resignation of the 46 remaining Obama-era U.S. attorneys, Rivera said he was “kind of stunned by it” but that he had “inside information” as to why the Trump administration chose to force the resignations, suggesting Hannity had a significant impact.

“I believe Sean Hannity has become the second-most powerful, influential person in the country when it comes to political life. He talks to the president every day,” Rivera said. “Sean, on Thursday night, went on an absolute rant about the U.S. attorneys and how they and others in the deep state, the permanent government, have been undermining President Trump and leaking information and perhaps not working 100 percent behind the president’s agenda."

“Sean was very, very firm on that, and I believe the president heeded his call,” Rivera said. “I do not believe this is something they have been pondering for a long time."

Hannity is one of Fox News Channel’s most successful hosts and likely the biggest supporter of Trump of any primetime television host in America. Trump routinely appeared on Hannity’s Fox News Channel show during the 2016 campaign and gave Hannity an exclusive one-hour interview at the White House during Trump’s first week in office.

Trump’s decision to remove the U.S. attorneys that served under the Obama administration came after numerous calls from Trump administration advisors and allies to remove the remaining top Justice Department officials.

On Friday, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said in interview with MSNBC, “If I were Donald Trump, I would take a look at all of my political appointees that — and anybody that was an appointment that came from the Obama administration. I would end that tomorrow morning, or tonight for that matter.”

It’s unclear whether the pressure from Hannity and top allies like King altered Trump’s decision to remove the 46 U.S. attorneys, a move that has been made by many previous presidential administrations in the past. For instance, President Barack Obama purged the Justice Department of Bush-era U.S. attorneys in 2009.

Watch Geraldo's comments below: