Opinion host Sean Hannity interrupted Fox News contributor Jessica Tarlov 14 times to attack President Joe Biden with a litany of complaints.
Before Ms Tarlov appeared on the programme on Tuesday night, Mr Hannity went after Mr Biden and New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul for her signing of a bill allowing the composting of human remains.
Remains can be “placed into a specially-designed vessel that’s surrounded with natural materials, like wood chips and alfalfa,” the law states.
Five other states have such a law in addition to New York.
“Let me ask you about this – 2022 was the worst year for the stock market since 2008. The [Congressional Budget Office] has found that Biden’s inflation cost the average American household $10,000. And Joe Biden did make a promise that I’m sure you remember that he wouldn’t raise taxes on those making under $400,000 a year, a family, a couple,” Hannity claimed.
“But he raised taxes on natural gas, on crude oil, on coal, on people’s IRAs and pensions, and corporate income taxes, which means that all of that money will be paid for by people who make less than $400,000 a year. Are you happy with Joe’s record and performance in two years? Isn’t $10,000 in Biden inflation tax high? Shouldn’t he have kept a promise not to tax people making under $400,000 a year?” he asked Ms Tarlov.
“Well, there was a lot in there,” Ms Tarlov responded.
Mr Biden hasn’t raised taxes on those making less than $400,000 but some on the right claim that rising prices is a tax increase, Mediaite noted.
Ms Tarlov, a co-host of The Five on Fox News, tried to respond amid constant interruptions by Hannity. Towards the end of the segment, she noted that she had been set to appear on the programme to speak about the composting legislation.
“Inflation is a huge problem and obviously the spike in gas prices, which I’m unwilling to say was just ‘Putin’s price hike,’ though it did happen on a global level. It was a huge problem for everyday Americans. They voiced that concern. The economy was the number one issue in the election,” she said.
“Republicans didn’t put up a viable alternative,” she said of the GOP midterm effort.
“Who gets hurt the most when you have inflation?” Hannity asked. “Isn’t the poor, the middle class, people on fixed incomes? When you tax oil and when you tax gas and when you tax coal and when you tax corporations and when you tax, you know, people that had the worst year in the stock market since 2008, those are all taxes Joe Biden and the Democratic socialists put in place.”
“All of those taxes are impacting the very people that your fellow Democratic socialists say they have the most compassion for ... So, the bottom line is Joe Biden lied to us. Joe Biden went back on his promise,” he added. “You’re a liberal Democrat, you’re also an honest person, I’ve known you for years. Why can’t you say Joe Biden broke his promise, and it now will hurt the poor, the middle class, and people on fixed income?”
“I don’t think that’s really what happened here. So, first and foremost, I don’t identify as a democratic socialist and Joe Biden is certainly not a democratic socialist,” Ms Tarlov said.
“But you admit he raised those taxes. You admit he raised those taxes,” Mr Hannity said.
“Well, no. So, there were a number of incentives built into being greener about your life, you know, moving to electric cars, natural gas, solar panels,” she replied.
“But he has a natural gas tax, he has a crude oil tax, and he has a coal tax. So, people that heat their homes and cool their homes, they’re all paying a lot more. That is being paid for by every American regardless of income,” the opinion host argued.
After some back and forth, Ms Tarlov said that “I think that the transition was hurried along perhaps too quickly, but that we do have to – and this is something that we’re in agreement with on a global level – that the environment is in danger, that we need to do what we can to lower the number of emissions”.
”Even if that means breaking his pledge to not raise taxes on people,” Hannity said.
“I really don’t think that’s the right terminology for this,” she answered.
“He said he wouldn’t raise taxes on people making less than $400,000. And now he has raised taxes five different ways and more,” Hannity claimed.
“That is not what happened here,” Ms Tarlov said before Hannity interrupted again, saying “Joe broke his promise to those people”.
“It’s literally not what I said. Corporations, by the way, are paying the lowest rate,” she started.
“Can you acknowledge he broke his word?” Hannity asked as the outro music began.
“I mean, the segment is over. I really, I don’t see it that way. I think that he offset a number of these plans,” Ms Tarlov said before being interrupted again.
“Offset a tax increase? Did he give us a tax cut somewhere? Where did he cut taxes and offset it?” Hannity asked.
“Honestly, Sean. I need to look at the plans again. We were supposed to talk about burying yourself, composting yourself. And now we’re back to tax plans, so...” she said.
“By the way, can you at least acknowledge that Kathy Hochul allowing the composting of dead human remains is kind of weird?” Hannity pressed on.
“I won’t be jumping at the chance to do, but I think that if people want to be returned to the Earth, maybe that’s a nice, you know, final voyage and you can turn into,” she said before being interrupted again.
“Put grandma, put a little alfalfa on her, a little hay on her ... and then we’ll plant flowers and use it as fertilizer for our crops next year. Dead bodies, human bodies. Alright,” the Fox host said.
