Fox News Host Ainsley Earhardt said Wednesday night on the network's “Hannity” that President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE told her in an exclusive interview set to air Thursday that he was considering a pardon for his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort Paul John ManafortOur Constitution is under attack by Attorney General William Barr Bannon trial date set in alleged border wall scam Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention MORE.

“I think he feels bad for Manafort. They were friends, he didn’t work for him very long, worked for him for basically one hundred days,” she said. Manafort was involved with Trump's campaign for five months.

ADVERTISEMENT

Manafort was convicted on Tuesday of eight charges of bank and tax fraud, including five charges of filing false income tax returns, one count of failing to report foreign bank accounts and two counts of bank fraud. A federal judge declared a mistrial on 10 additional counts.

Trump took to Twitter Wednesday morning to defend Manafort and reiterate a common jab at Mueller's probe, writing, “A large number of counts, ten, could not even be decided in the Paul Manafort case. Witch Hunt!”

A number of Republican senators have said that Trump pardoning Manafort would be a major misstep for his administration.

“It would be an enormous mistake and misuse of his power to pardon,” Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsThe Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power Billionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden Credit union group to spend million on Senate, House races MORE (R-Maine) told reporters.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker Robert (Bob) Phillips CorkerHas Congress captured Russia policy? Tennessee primary battle turns nasty for Republicans Cheney clashes with Trump MORE (R-Tenn.) added that a pardon “would be very damaging to the presidency and to his position as president.”

News of Manafort's conviction came just minutes after Trump's former lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to tax fraud, making a false statement to a financial institution and campaign finance violation, consequently implicating the president in a felony.

-- Updated 10:40 p.m.