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By CRISTIANO LIMA<\/span> and HADAS GOLD<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n A brewing professional rivalry between two of the biggest stars on Fox News turned openly hostile on Wednesday, as Sean Hannity and Megyn Kelly traded insults over their vastly divergent approaches to covering the 2016 presidential race.<\/p>\n The unusually public exchange began when Kelly criticized Trump for refusing to conduct interviews in \u201cunsafe spaces,\u201d opting instead for the friendly confines of Hannity’s show.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cDonald Trump, with all due respect to my friend at 10 o\u2019clock, will go on ‘Hannity’ and pretty much only ‘Hannity’ and will not venture out to the unsafe spaces these days which doesn\u2019t exactly expand the tent for either one of them,\u201d Kelly said during a Wednesday broadcast of \u201cThe Kelly File.”<\/p>\n Hannity tweeted at Kelly soon afterward, telling her to direct her ire at Hillary Clinton, adding: “Clearly you support her.”<\/p>\n http:\/\/twitter.com\/seanhannity\/status\/783850273420738560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw<\/p>\n Later challenged on social media to “stand by your colleagues,” Hannity took another swipe at Kelly, saying he would do so “when they stand by me.”<\/p>\n http:\/\/twitter.com\/seanhannity\/status\/783855383639105536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw<\/p>\n Hannity has been an outspoken supporter of the Republican presidential nominee, telling viewers in June that he\u2019d be voting for the real estate mogul come November. His many interviews of Trump have been widely panned as open advocacy for a presidential candidate.<\/p>\n Hannity was featured prominently in a Trump presidential campaign ad in late August, prompting Fox to prohibit him from appearing in any future promotional materials for his candidacy. The New York Times reported<\/a> on Aug. 21 that Hannity has informally advised Trump on campaign strategy.<\/p>\n Trump even mentioned Hannity during the first presidential debate at Hofstra University, using him to back up his unsubstantiated claim that he opposed the Iraq war prior to the 2003 invasion.<\/p>\n Following that debate, Kelly informed viewers that Trump was scheduled to talk to Hannity, adding what many took as a slight of her fellow Fox host.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got Trump speaking to our own Sean Hannity,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ll see if he speaks to the journalists in this room after that interview.\u201d<\/p>\n Days later, in a quickly leaked rebuke<\/a> that seemed aimed at Hannity, Fox News executive Dana Blanton sent a memo reminding staff that unscientific online fan polls do not meet the network\u2019s editorial standards. Hannity continued citing them in support of Trump.<\/p>\n In contrast to Hannity’s unabashed support, Kelly\u2019s relationship with Trump has been openly contentious, with the two sniping at each other as recently as Tuesday\u2019s vice presidential debate, when Trump refuted Kelly\u2019s observation that he was \u201csurrounded by his team\u201d as he live-tweeted the event.<\/p>\n .@megynkelly<\/a>– I am in Nevada. Sorry to inform you Kellyanne is in the audience. Better luck next time.<\/p>\n — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n