Fox News host Sean Hannity repeatedly clashed with democratic socialist congressional candidate Oliver Larkin on Monday night after Larkin refused to provide a specific number when pressed about how much Americans should pay in taxes.
Larkin, who is running to represent Florida in the House of Representatives, appeared on Hannity’s Fox News program, where the host repeatedly demanded specifics about the candidate’s tax agenda.
The heated exchange began when Hannity asked how much money Larkin believed the government should take from Americans. Larkin initially responded that the amount would depend on how much a person earns before turning his attention to billionaires such as Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk.
“I think that billionaires should be taxed out of existence,” Larkin declared.
Hannity could be heard groaning before firing back at the candidate.
“So you want to empower the government to take from the most creative providers, the most brilliant people in our country,” Hannity said.
The pair continued sparring over Musk before Hannity returned to his original question and presented Larkin with a specific example.
“Somebody making $100,000 a year, how much of every dollar should they be able to keep?” Hannity asked.
Larkin began answering by discussing tax rates for middle-class Americans, but Hannity quickly interrupted.
“Give me a number,” Hannity demanded. “Oliver, give me a number.”
“Sean, it’s not that easy,” Larkin responded.
Hannity disagreed, insisting the question was straightforward.
“No, $100,000, how much of every dollar should they be able to keep?” Hannity asked again. “It’s a simple question.”
Larkin responded that he wanted to “see a return on our taxpayer investment,” prompting another interruption from Hannity.
“GIVE US A NUMBER!” the Fox News host shouted.
Larkin still declined to provide the specific figure Hannity was seeking. Instead, the congressional candidate said he was not interested in increasing taxes on middle-class Americans and wanted to focus on the “billionaire class.”
Hannity then raised the income level, asking Larkin how much an American earning $500,000 per year should pay in taxes.
Larkin again declined to give a specific figure, saying taxation should be “proportional.”
That answer only further frustrated Hannity.
“Give me a number!” Hannity shouted. “Oliver, give me a number.”
Larkin once again argued that the issue was not that “simple,” and the increasingly contentious interview continued as Hannity’s program approached a commercial break.
Despite Hannity’s repeated demands throughout the exchange, the Fox News host never received the specific tax number he was seeking from Larkin.
The contentious interview came one day after President Donald Trump weighed in on the rise of democratic socialist candidates such as Larkin.
Trump claimed that “Black and Brown” Americans hate socialism and said they were “flocking” to the Republican Party amid the rise of democratic socialist candidates.
[READ MORE: Marjorie Taylor Greene Dismisses Speculation of Tucker Carlson Third-Party White House Bid]
