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Veteran Fox News host Sean Hannity’s interview Wednesday evening with conservative Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert over her refusal to support Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for speaker got unusually tense after the Colorado lawmaker appeared to dodge Hannity’s questions repeatedly.
The focus of the interview began with Boebert’s refusal, along with 19 other GOP members of the Freedom Caucus, to support McCarthy through six ballots, something that hasn’t happened since the mid-1850s. McCarthy needs 218 votes to become a speaker, but he is stuck at around 202.
Hannity introduced the segment this way:
She says negotiations with McCarthy have been ongoing since the summer, but that her demands are not being taken seriously. Meanwhile, Kevin McCarthy’s camp is now reportedly trying to determine which of the 20 votes against him are because of a policy disagreement versus a personal vendetta. Here now with reaction is Congresswoman Boebert. Congresswoman, let me — Townhall quoted you today saying, ‘President…’ — you said complimentary things about President Trump — ‘…needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that, ‘Sir, you do not have the votes, it’s time to withdraw.’’ Let me turn the tables, Congresswoman. Kevin McCarthy has 202, 203 votes. Your side has 20. So, if I’ll use your words and your methodology and your math, isn’t it time for you to pack it in and your side to pack it in considering he has over 200 and you have 20?
Boebert began by saying she “understood” his frustration before he immediately cut her off.
“I’m not frustrated. You didn’t answer my question,” he responded.
“And we’re hearing — we’re hearing from many people who are still voting with Kevin McCarthy…” Boebert said before Hannity interjected again.
“You’re not answering my question,” he said.
Amid crosstalk, Boebert continued, saying that she and the holdout group is hearing even from people supporting McCarthy that they “are very supportive of what we’re doing and they’re cheering us on. So there are more for us than against us. They’re waiting for Kevin to cave.”
“Kevin McCarthy doesn’t have the votes. We need come up with a consensus candidate to elect as speaker of the House,” she said.
“Can I finish? Can I finish? ‘You don’t have the votes and it’s time to withdraw.’ He has 203. Your side has 20. Why is it time for him to withdraw and not you when he has so many votes?” Hannity interjected.
“Well, Sean, He needs 218. He doesn’t have 218,” she replied, as Hannity offered, “Neither do you.”
“We have tried to work it out in private, as you said, for months. But Kevin McCarthy didn’t want to listen to us until his disappointing midterms. We all want a unified party, but this isn’t chaos, it’s a functioning constitutional republic,” the Colorado lawmaker continued.
“When everything is said and done, House Republicans will be stronger and better prepared to lead than we ever have before. I believe this is what our Founding Fathers intended and this is showing that our votes are working. Our votes aren’t just cast to anoint Hakeem” Jeffries, the Democrat minority leader, she added.
WATCH:
WATCH: Sean Hannity and Lauren Boebert spar over the vote for House speakerpic.twitter.com/5pyujTmWF0
— Patriot Alerts (@alerts___) January 5, 2023
Here is more of the exchange:
HANNITY: “Okay. Congresswoman, I ask you not to filibuster. Yesterday you voted and Jim Jordan was your choice. Today it was Byron Donald who’s your choice. Tomorrow I don’t know who you will vote for. The bottom line is, you still only have 20 votes. Let me ask you this. Kevin McCarthy — “
BOEBERT: “I think we’re proving that we’re open to a menu of options. Many different people can be Speaker, it’s not just one man.”
HANNITY: “You’re proving that 20 people don’t want Kevin McCarthy at this time. But my question to you is this — “
BOEBERT: “We are proving that there are many options.”
HANNITY: “My question to you is, did you support Kevin McCarthy’s commitments to America? And do you not believe he will follow through on his written promises?”
BOEBERT: “His Commitment to America is not as strong as I would like it to be. We have been working on the rules to change the structure of how Washington, D.C. is run and operated. Sean, you know more than anybody how broken this town is. This is something that we have an opportunity to rebuild, to restructure, and it takes — “
HANNITY: “He gave you what you asked for. And one of the things I’ve been asking people, I’m asking you tonight: Who is your final choice for Speaker? And if you can’t get more than let’s say 30 votes, will you follow your own advice that you’re asking Donald Trump and withdraw?”
BOEBERT: “There are certainly names that are being floated around. Hey, maybe I should nominate President Donald j. Trump tomorrow. But, Sean, I did watch your show last night — “
HANNITY: “Is this a game show? Like, we’re going to pick Jim Jordan one day, Donalds the other day, Trump the next day?”
Boebert noted toward the end of the interview she did not plan on wavering and was a hard ‘no’ regarding support for McCarthy.
