The Republican Party kicked off the new year the only way they know how: by sowing chaos. This time, however, it’s largely self-contained. A small but pivotal cadre of MAGA lawmakers who won’t let former Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy get promoted. It’s taken two days and six separate votes and they still can’t elect a new Speaker of the House. And if Lauren Boebert’s fight with Sean Hannity on Wednesday night is any indication, this is far from over.
Sean Hannity and Lauren Boebert spar over the vote for House speaker pic.twitter.com/ROg0nFqeSH
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 5, 2023
Boebert is among the 20 House Republicans adamantly against McCarthy getting the gig, despite two years of him appeasing the MAGA extremist wing of his party. She’s not budging for anybody — not for her former bestie Marjorie Taylor Greene, not even for Donald Trump himself, who’s begged her to flip-flop. When she appeared on Hannity on the second day of the House mess, it didn’t take long for the tussle to begin.
“Let me turn the tables, congresswoman,” Hannity charged. “Kevin McCarthy has 202–3 votes. Your side has 20. So, if I’m gonna 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?”
At first Boebert tried to mollify him, saying, “Sean, I understand the frustration, I promise you.” But the two quickly started talking over each other. As she claimed there were plenty of McCarthy voters who secretly sided with her faction and are “waiting for Kevin to cave,” Hannity told her he was “frustrated by you not answering a direct question.” As she kept barreling over his points, he let out a testy “Can I finish?”
Soon they were debating over cold hard numbers:
HANNITY: He has 203. Your side has 20. Why is it time for him to withdraw and not you when he has so many more votes?
BOEBERT: Well, Sean, he needs 218 and he does not have 218.
HANNITY: Neither do you!
Eventually he asked if her side would relent if they couldn’t find an alternate candidate who can get at least 30 votes. She replied, “I will not withdraw.”
“With all due respect,” Hannity told her, “If you only have 30, to be clear, you will not withdraw, but you’re telling Kevin McCarthy and the 203 people that support him to withdraw because they don’t have 218. That’s what you’re saying?”
“Look, it’s obvious by tonight’s motion to adjourn that Kevin McCarthy and his supporters have voter fatigue,” Boebert replied. “And I’m here for it.”
“I asked you a simple question, congresswoman,” Hannity said. “I feel I’m getting an answer from a liberal.”
Boebert responded, “I’m not going to support Kevin McCarthy, Sean.”
Republicans are known to tussle with Democrats, so seeing two intransigent squabblers from the same party get into it was really something else. And people (read: non-Republicans) were here for it.
Hannity is going right after Boebert pic.twitter.com/5v8TAHehER
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 5, 2023
Hannity and Lauren Boebert are fighting and I love this for us. pic.twitter.com/Oydng80jr6
— Jesus Freakin Congress (@TheJFreakinC) January 5, 2023
https://twitter.com/LynnSharig8/status/1610834433137070081
https://twitter.com/davidmweissman/status/1610832781231153153
I…can't…believe…I…agree…with…Sean…(sigh)…Hannity. https://t.co/owKceHku5X
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) January 5, 2023
https://twitter.com/valleylove40/status/1610838464324567040
As Ken Watanabe says in the 2014 Godzilla: Let them fight.
(Via Mediaite)