Sean Hannity Show - Keeping the Government Afloat - September 19th, Hour 3

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Sept. 19, 2023 - Sean Hannity Show

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Keeping the Government Afloat - September 19th, Hour 3

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	So there has been a battle among the Republicans.
	They got a very slim majority.
	We've talked often about it, 222.
	It's a four-seat majority, and they have a little bit of a complication because a number of members are not there.
	But anyway, the September 30th deadline, 11 days from now, is approaching.
	And at that point, you know, it would be a looming government shutdown.
	I've said many times on this program, shutdowns, I'm not afraid of them.
	To prevent a potential government shutdown, you have two very key factions of House Republicans have now crafted what is a short-term stopgap measure, which is called the CR continuing resolution, that would fund the government through October 31st and give obviously both houses of Congress an opportunity to put budgets together, which they never seem to get done on time.
	But anyway, the bill has been sponsored by members of the House Freedom Caucus and what's known as the more moderate Main Street Caucus.
	Here's what the facts as I know them are.
	It would impose an 8% spending cut on federal agencies, not including National Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or money designated for disaster relief.
	The temporary measure would also include border security provisions that have been top on the priority list for conservatives during this ongoing spending fight.
	Now, whether the CR can pass in the House and the Senate, that remains to be seen.
	Mitch McConnell, Senate Republicans have shown a willingness to go along with Joe Biden's insanity in terms of government spending.
	We now reach the number of $33 trillion that this country has in debt.
	That means our kids are going to be burdened with this for the rest of their lives.
	Same with our grandkids.
	$2 trillion additional dollars in debt thanks to Biden's policies this year alone.
	Anyway, we have with us Congressman Chip Roy, great state of Texas, Freedom Caucus member, and Matt Gates, Florida Congressman, all-out rebel in the House.
	Welcome both of you to the show.
	Good to be on, Charlotte.
	Thank you.
	Chip, let me start with you because I actually have a tape of you saying issuing a challenge to House Republicans who won't support the CR.
	Let's play it.
	We have some robust debates within our conference.
	They're the debates we should be having across this town that our Democrat colleagues refuse to engage in.
	So what we have before us right now is legislation that will cut spending to non-defense, non-veteran discretionary spending.
	In simple speak, the federal bureaucracy that is not, that is neither defense nor veterans by 8%.
	If my conservative colleagues want to vote against that, go explain that.
	Go explain that you're voting against a 30-day, 8% cut to the federal bureaucracy while having a piece of legislation attached to it that is the strongest border legislation ever passed, and it was passed out of this House Republican conference.
	All right.
	So I assume, Chip, you stand by your arguments there, correct?
	I do.
	And look, we can have reasonable disagreement on this.
	The tactics can be different.
	My friend Matt Gates and I agree on what we're trying to accomplish in trying to cut overall spending.
	Sean, I know you agree with that.
	I think the question here is how to get there.
	And what we decided to put forward is a proposal to try to give us time to land a much better process that I think Matt and I share about moving forward the appropriations bills.
	What you have to understand is, as a Texan, it is of the utmost importance to me that we find a way to secure the border.
	I now know that's actually important for New Yorkers, too, listening to this, about how bad the border security issue is.
	That's now a 60-40, 70-30 issue.
	I would like to head into October in what is now almost a certain shutdown.
	I'd like to head in October with Republicans being on offense telling the Democrats, look, you can either shut down the border or shut down the government.
	I think that would be a powerful message.
	Right now, it looks like we're pulling the rule down on that, and we're back to the table.
	I'm actually sitting in the bowels of the Capitol right now.
	Matt and I were just in a meeting where we're now trying to negotiate where we land in terms of the numbers.
	I personally am fine with any level of cuts you want to cut to the federal bureaucracy.
	I'm in.
	What I'm trying to do is find 218 Republicans as where we can land on a place to set a top-line spending level.
	By the way, this should have all been done with all due respect to our mutual friend, the Speaker.
	This should have been done months ago.
	That's a fail.
	We should have been in August.
	We should have been doing this.
	But here we sit in September.
	So I'm trying to put forward some sort of path to be able to cut the federal spending and secure the border of the United States.
	Matt and I share that goal.
	We just disagree on tactics.
	It's kind of moot at this point.
	We're now back to the drawing board.
	Literally, I've got a whiteboard in front of me.
	We're at the drawing board now trying to figure out what to do next.
	Well, my understanding is the bill might have gotten pulled.
	Is that true?
	It's correct.
	Yes.
	So we're now, again, same goals.
	We're at the drawing board now trying to figure out how to get to 218 agreement in this conference to do what the American people want.
	And by the way, even if the conference agrees, we do need to point out that you're one half of one branch of government.
	It's not like you're all powerful here with a very slim majority.
	Matt, let's get your take.
	Well, first, I want to thank the thousands of Americans who helped us bring down the Donald CR, which now seems to be dead.
	Certainly no one in Congress takes a second chair to Chip Roy when it comes to understanding the border and wanting to cut spending.
	I believe that the only way we will successfully cut spending and root out the woke and weaponized government is to force these individual agencies to step forward and defend their budgets.
	Chip and I both want to do that.
	And we have to ask ourselves, in eight months of Republicans being in control, why haven't we?
	And I think Congressman Roy absolutely diagnoses this correctly.
	This is a failure of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to live up to the agreement that he made in January.
	And the original sin there is that Speaker McCarthy did this terrible debt limit deal with Joe Biden and the Democrats.
	Part of the deal we made with the Speaker required these 12 separate spending bills.
	And I just, I've been here for seven years, Sean.
	I've seen Washington punt and kick the can down the road.
	Well, just give us another 30 days.
	And the result is usually the same.
	So things may get worse before they get better.
	They probably will.
	But I also, you know, we were in, I'll bring in the listeners inside the room.
	Chip and I were in a Republican strategy meeting this morning, and we had one of our more moderate members stand up at the microphone and say, you know, I can vote for an 8% cut.
	And I really want to do that because if I have to individually start voting against programs rather than just voting for a percentage, well, that'll be real difficult for me politically.
	So I just want to talk about 5% or 8%, and I really need to avoid programmatic review.
	And you see, that's the problem with this paradigm.
	It is a punt, and it is a punt in a game where we are behind.
	So I think we need to go for it.
	We need to kick into overdrive and try to get these bills out as fast as possible.
	And if we have to endure a shutdown, we may have to hold the speaker accountable for that shutdown because it was his failure to manage the calendar that has put us here.
	Chip?
	Yeah, I mean, look, again, Matt and I are very much on the same page.
	Here's the thing that I would throw back as a counter in terms of our tactics.
	For me, 100% agree.
	We need to set a top line that will bring 218 Republicans together to move appropriations bills forward.
	But I will say this.
	We also need to put Democrats on defense.
	And right now, Democrats are feeling the heat in New York.
	Mayor Adams is feeling the heat.
	Chuck Schumer is feeling the heat.
	New Yorkers are starting to feel the heat of the border situation we've been dealing with in Texas.
	So my tactic call would be not a CR, not carrying out the same bullcrap we normally do in this town.
	We would do what we've never done ever in the history of this republic.
	We would have put forward an 8% cut to the non-defense, non-veteran bureaucracy and HR2, a bill that would stop releases, force microprotection protocols, force the issue with the border in terms of not allowing people to get released into the United States.
	Well, Chip, let me ask you, I don't want to interrupt your thought process here.
	Sure.
	But you're going to get the Senate to go along with that.
	Well, the Senate, what's the Senate going to go along?
	That's not my job.
	My job is to get something out of the House.
	Are we going to get the Senate to go along with the spending cuts we're talking about, Sean?
	The fact is, we have to stand up to do what the American people said us here to do.
	I think Matt and I probably agree on this point.
	Send over everything we've got, fire, and then force Chuck Schumer to have to defend it.
	I just tactically thought it was more beneficial to give our Republicans a place to be able to message on offense on October 1 when we're shut down.
	I think we should have passed that in 30 seconds, been done with it, and then we should have forced Kevin to go adhere to the spending levels that we've talked about and all of us get in the room and sort it out.
	That's the only difference in opinion here.
	Again, it's somewhat moot.
	This is Matt Gates.
	I believe that the false premise here is that the only way for Republicans to go on offense on the border is with a CR that isolates border policy.
	I actually think that we could go on offense on the border by passing our Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill.
	I think we could go on offense on the border by impeaching Alejandro Mayorkis, as Kevin McCarthy sort of gaslit us to at the beginning of this year.
	So we both want to get there, but I don't think that we have to surrender every other fight just to isolate the border.
	But Matt, we're not surrendering every other fight, Matt.
	We agree on the ability to do that.
	Happy to go past DHS tomorrow.
	But look, I'm looking at a board right now that if we're at the limit, save, grow levels from the spring, we're selling to our colleagues a 30% cut to all of the non-defense, non-veteran spending.
	Hallelujah.
	You and I would be on board with that.
	100%, buddy.
	I'm all in.
	But you know, as well as I know, we don't have 218 to do that.
	I'm happy to have the vote on it.
	Force the vote.
	I'm fine.
	You and I agree on all those things.
	But what we're trying to do is figure out how we can actually stand in the breach and win a shutdown fight.
	That's literally the only difference here is a tactical difference of how to send a message to the country.
	We are for cutting spending.
	We are for securing the border.
	We're for ending the woke military and making admission first.
	We're for ending the destruction of the DOJ.
	An 8% cut of DOJ is a massive shot at the weaponization of DOJ.
	I don't think not over 30 days.
	I mean, this 8% cut is not a cut in perpetuity.
	It's a cut for 30 days.
	So they might not buy some laptops.
	They may cancel some subscriptions.
	But I don't think that an 8% cut there is going to create programmatic reform in such a short time period.
	And we may disagree on that, but I worry that it sends another message.
	It sends a message that governing by continuing resolution is okay so long as we draft the continuing resolution.
	And the point that we made together in January is that there's a broader principle here that we shouldn't be taking these votes, lumping all these disparate agencies of government together in one up or down decision calculus.
	That that is unserious.
	You know that's unserious.
	I know that's unserious.
	And the reason we're here is because this was mismanaged.
	We should have passed a defense appropriation alongside the defense authorizing bill.
	We should have passed a border appropriation alongside the HR2 legislation that you were one of the principal architects of.
	But here's what they do.
	They pass the policy so everybody can send out their press releases.
	But when it comes to the check, to sending the money to these entities, far too often, the Washington game is to back everybody up against the end of the year, threaten the horrors of shutdown politics, and find enough people to cave and capitulate.
	I am not going to cave.
	I am not going to surrender.
	I am not going to vote for a CR.
	It seems as though a sufficient number of Republicans have held that position.
	And so now, you know, as we get off the conversation with Sean, we'll roll up our sleeves together, get on that whiteboard and figure out where we can convince our colleagues to come along with us in the cuts to the Biden government spending that so offends our voters and our fellow Americans.
	Well, let me jump in here, Sean, because Matt just had a long run.
	The fact of the matter is the Senate was not going to accept what we were just going to pass.
	The Senate would not accept a CR or a continuing spending of the government, an 8% cut with an HR-2 border security bill.
	That was not going to happen.
	Not at all.
	So it's not governing by lumping stuff together.
	It's sending a clear message of what our priority is while we're actually working to do the work we should have been doing for months, as I totally agree, in order to win the fight.
	Because what the risk is right now by my friends here, the risk here is that we're going to have some of our more moderate members who are going to say, you know what?
	I'm washing my hands of this.
	I'm going to accept a clean CR from the Senate.
	And then you guys are going to all be looking on the outside looking in while we're allowing that to be continuing to fund the Pelosi spending, the 17 Republicans who sold out in the Senate to join Pelosi to spend at the levels they're spending at at the policies that they've embraced.
	And we're not going to secure the border of the United States.
	My job is to secure the border of the United States for the Texans who are dying from fentanyl poisoning while migrants are dying and getting sold in the sex trafficking trade.
	And we piss around in Washington looking at each other.
	So that's why I'm going to stand up and fight for them and try to move something forward that I think will actually accomplish the objective.
	I think the key word that both of you have spoken about here, and maybe there's just tactical differences here, the one thing I'm observing from the outside, and I'm agreeing with everything all of you are saying, why they didn't you the Republican caucus didn't start this process earlier is mind-numbing to me.
	It makes no sense to me why you weren't working during August.
	That makes no sense to me.
	And no people have to get back to their districts.
	But you know what?
	The work in Washington matters too.
	The one thing that at the end of the day, and I think we both agree with this, you're all either going to succeed or fail together.
	And how do you define success?
	I would define success as standing by the promises you made to the American people.
	And at that point, political calculations be damned.
	I think it's good politics to keep your promises.
	Am I wrong, Matt?
	You're absolutely right.
	It's good politics for members of the House.
	It's also good politics for the Speaker.
	He made promises.
	And while Chip and I disagree strongly on where we stand right now tactically, we're both concurring that the reason we are here is because Kevin McCarthy failed to keep his promises.
	Matt, I'm not interrupting you.
	Hang on.
	I'm going to hold you through the break.
	Toll-free.
	It's 800-941-Sean, if you want to be a part of the program.
	Congressman Matt Gates, Congressman Chip Roy, dealing with the 11-day deadline in terms of whether there'll be a government shutdown.
	What are the best strategies, tactics, plans, options available at this moment?
	We'll get back to that in a second.
	Your call's also coming up, 800-941-Sean, our number.
	We'll continue.
	Hey there, I'm Mary Catherine Hamm.
	And I'm Carol Markowitz.
	We've been in political media for a long time.
	Long enough to know that it's gotten, well, a little insane.
	That's why we started Normally, a podcast for people who are over the hysteria and just want clarity.
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	I'm Ben Ferguson, and I'm Ted Cruz.
	Three times a week, we do our podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz.
	Nationwide, we have millions of listeners.
	Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we break down the news and bring you behind the scenes inside the White House, inside the Senate, inside the United States Supreme Court.
	And we cover the stories that you're not getting anywhere else.
	We arm you with the facts to be able to know and advocate for the truth with your friends and family.
	So download a verdict with Ted Cruz Now, wherever you get your podcasts.
	Hey there, I'm Mary Catherine Hamm.
	And I'm Carol Markowitz.
	We've been in political media for a long time.
	Long enough to know that it's gotten, well, a little insane.
	That's why we started Normally, a podcast for people who are over the hysteria and just want clarity.
	We talk about the issues that actually matter to the country without panic, without yelling, and with a healthy dose of humor.
	We don't take ourselves too seriously, but we do take the truth seriously.
	So if you're into common sense, sanity, and some occasional sass.
	You're our kind of people.
	Catch new episodes of Normally every Tuesday and Thursday.
	On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen.
	I'm Ben Ferguson, and I'm Ted Cruz.
	Three times a week, we do our podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz.
	Nationwide, we have millions of listeners.
	Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we break down the news and bring you behind the scenes inside the White House, inside the Senate, inside the United States Supreme Court.
	And we cover the stories that you're not getting anywhere else.
	We arm you with the facts to be able to know and advocate for the truth with your friends and family.
	So download a verdict with Ted Cruz Now, wherever you get your podcasts.
	25 to the top of the hour.
	Thank you for being with us.
	Toll-free, our numbers, 800-941-Sean, if you want to be a part of the program.
	More with Matt Gates and Chip Roy in a second.
	I want to remind you, these are tough economic times.
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	Anyway, give them a call today, 866-615-9200, 866-615-9200.
	On the web, it's AmericanFinancing.net.
	American Financing, NMLS, 182-334, NMLS ConsumerAccess.org.
	We continue now.
	We're, what, 11 days away from a potential government shutdown?
	Republicans had reached what seemed like a tentative agreement, a short-term stopgap measure, continuing resolution that would temporarily fund the government through October 31st.
	That bill would impose an 8% spending cut on federal agencies.
	It wouldn't include the National Defense Budget, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any amounts that have been designated for disaster relief.
	And it would also provide border security provisions that obviously have been a top priority for conservatives, including yours truly, for a long time.
	Anyway, we continue now.
	Florida Congressman Matt Gates, Texas Congressman Chip Roy, they've been very hands-on in terms of how to deal with this impasse that we currently have.
	All right, you guys talk about going back to your whiteboard.
	You talk about coming to some type of consensus here.
	So the plan that you had put forward, that's kind of dead on arrival.
	I don't know what's the next step, Matt.
	Well, I believe we have to endeavor to get the individual spending bills to the floor that we can to send them to the Senate and to set the paradigm that that is the way in which we will negotiate.
	We're going to have to get to a negotiation with the Senate and with the White House.
	That's what you have to do in divided government.
	But I'd rather be negotiating the features of individual bills for individual agencies rather than negotiating on their turf.
	On their turf.
	Well, let me ask you, would an October 31st extension through a CR allow enough time to get the 12 spending bills passed?
	It surrenders the frame, Sean.
	What it says is that there is a paradigm under which the continuing resolutions will still govern this House.
	And what I believed when Kevin McCarthy became Speaker is that the era of the omnibus bill and the continuing resolution was over.
	Now, we ought to fire the appropriations chairman for this.
	We may need to fire the Speaker over it, frankly, because it is so embarrassing.
	Like, we can't blame Joe Biden and the Democrats for not being on time with our own spending bills.
	Well, let me ask you, because you've been very outspoken.
	You're not a fan of Kevin McCarthy's.
	Okay, let's say you put forward that motion to vacate, which it seemed like you're planning to do.
	What is the net result of that politically for House members?
	How does that work out?
	It is entirely within Kevin McCarthy's control whether a motion to vacate is filed.
	He has to do what he agreed to do, otherwise we all look like fools.
	We have to have a vote on term limits.
	We have to have a vote on balanced budgets.
	We have to have single-subject spending bills, the release of the January 6th tapes he promised, and fulsome oversight.
	By the way, that's all easy stuff.
	That's not hard to have votes on any of those things.
	That's not a heavy lift.
	I mean, good question, but I mean, is that not something that can be handled?
	Let me bring in Chip.
	Chip, do you think that's the best plan or the best idea?
	Sure.
	I mean, and I've 100% been on board with those things and remain on board with those things.
	The question here is, for me, is I want to win, and I want to win for the American people.
	So what are we going to do over the next 11 days?
	I am totally on board with setting a, and by the way, we're now in a posture where there is no alternative.
	So what we're talking about is now a fresh start.
	So now we say, okay, now what?
	Sitting here on September, whatever the date is, 19.
	We go forward and we set a spending level that we can get the votes for.
	Now, that could be 1471.
	That could be what we talked about in January.
	If you do that, as I said.
	But, Chip, you also have to deal with the reality.
	There are people that are not like us that are conservative, that want a significant reduction in government spending.
	We can't continue to burden our kids with $33 trillion in debt.
	And yeah, we need our borders secure.
	That's a top priority for me.
	And I know it's for you down in Texas and, frankly, the entire country.
	Agreed.
	And so my point is, if we want to move forward, we can try to get that spending level, which would be a 30%.
	I want to remind you, a third cut to all of the non-defense, non-veteran spending.
	I'm for that.
	I suspect, and I think Matt said earlier, he's for that.
	I don't believe we have 218 for that.
	So tell me how the negotiation goes there.
	How do you get to 280?
	Well, what I have been doing all day today is laying out on literally a whiteboard where you lay out the option.
	For example, we could spend at a 3% total cut and a 15% cut to the non-defense, non-veteran spending.
	And if we did that, we would basically return the non-defense, non-veteran spending to pre-COVID levels.
	We could do that, and that number would be more like 1554.
	Now, that's all in the weeds.
	The point is to the average American, we could come to some consensus on a top line and move it through if we can get 218.
	That's what we're trying to do.
	This is all stuff that should have been done in July.
	This is all stuff that should have been done in August.
	But here we sit, and we're trying to find a solution to do it.
	But the one critical difference here is, and again, Matt and I agree 99% on what we're trying to achieve.
	The critical difference is, is even if some of our Republican colleagues go and they say, we're going to go along with the Democrats and we're going to do a discharge petition and a CR, we're going to take a Senate CR and advance the ball forward.
	If we end up with not the leverage to fight for border security or not what we want to try to get on policy and spending, then that is a loss.
	I'm trying to figure out how to do that without forcing the hand so that we end up with what I think will be a worse outcome.
	At the end of the day, I just want to win.
	I want to achieve the lowest spending level possible with border security, DOJ gutted from what they're doing, and Department of Defense being focused on mission instead of wokeness, which I know Matt agrees with all of those goals.
	You see, but I mean, Matt, there is the 218 threshold.
	That's the number you need.
	What if you have the Ken Bucks of the world or other liberal Republicans, rhino-Republicans that are more willing to do a deal with Hakeem Jeffries and the Democrats, and that takes all of your wins off the table?
	How does that look?
	I don't think Ken Buck is a rhino or likely to do a deal with Hakeem Jeffries.
	Why was he against the impeachment inquiry?
	He views that evidence incorrectly, but I wouldn't count.
	That's a nice way of putting it.
	Yeah, I think there are other members that are far more likely to do deals with Democrats.
	And here's the hard truth, Sean.
	We may not have the team in the House of Representatives that can save the country right now.
	And if that's the case, I don't believe that we ought to obfuscate how people are voting.
	So if we don't have the votes, let's take the votes.
	Let's watch them go down.
	Let's have everybody in every district of the folks who are not representing their constituents really observe that.
	And again, if what these five or six or 10 moderate Republicans think their districts want them to do is to go give the Biden administration a blank check, then I think that they're going to find a different reaction with their constituents and with the American people.
	But I concede that it might take some failed votes before we get there.
	But if we can vote 15 times on the Speaker of the House, then we should be able to vote two or three or 10 times on these appropriations bills to get them in the right shape where we built consensus.
	Chip, do you see liberal Republicans actually screwing over every other Republican by doing something like Matt described?
	I think I want to frame it this way.
	First, I agree with Matt.
	You don't like my language there.
	I'd like to know.
	No, I'm kidding.
	Go ahead.
	What I want to say is I agree with Matt completely on the goal here, and I'm happy to have vote after vote after vote.
	We agree on that completely.
	I'll vote.
	I'm happy to vote.
	I'm happy to vote on any one of these proposals we're putting forward.
	On your question, are there some in our Republican conference who would ultimately, when we get into a shutdown, side with moving some sort of a so-called clean CR, which is garbage, right?
	That's a CR perpetuating the Pelosi, you know, horrible spending bill that those Senate Republicans saddled us with.
	Yes, I do believe there's a number who would, and I believe there's a number that would then go back to their constituents and say, that's what I'm doing to try to keep government going.
	I disagree with that.
	But I do think that's possible.
	Matt's right.
	Force the vote.
	And that may happen.
	But what I don't want to do is we end up on October 15th in the middle of a shutdown, and we've moved some appropriations bills.
	We haven't gotten everything done.
	And suddenly these guys go, yeah, I can't sustain a shutdown.
	Boom, they vote with the Senate.
	And now we've kicked out a CR under the Pelosi priorities for X number of months in the future.
	Again, Matt and I are aligned.
	We're trying to move forward, and we're going to get back to meetings right now, you know, this afternoon, trying to figure out how we can, you know, get something out and start moving appropriations bills.
	Well, I'm not going to hold you any longer.
	You guys have been very generous with your time, and both have agreed to come on Hannity tonight.
	I just think the country needs to hear both of you and hear this debate and understand a little bit more deeply how complex this can get.
	And you have all these varying factions and a very small, very small majority.
	Matt, we'll give you the last word to be fair.
	We are going to continue to endeavor upon this.
	And frankly, we have to do it in spite of our leadership, not because of them.
	House leadership has brought us to the precipice of failure.
	Chip has been working real hard to try to really rescue us from that failure.
	And my hope is that we'll be able to build Republican consensus.
	And I agree with your fundamental premise, Sean, that we do rise or fall together.
	But sometimes you've got to crack a few eggs on the way to making those omelets.
	Well, I'm good at cracking eggs.
	I'm pretty good at that in my life.
	Anyway, I know you're both trying hard.
	Appreciate the time you spent with us.
	We'll see you on TV tonight.
	Matt Gates, Chip Royd, thank you both.
	Thank you, Sean.
	800-941-Sean, our number, if you want to be a part of the program.
	All right, let's go to Michael in Colorado.
	Michael, how are you?
	Glad you called, sir.
	Sean, thank you so much for taking my call.
	First of all, I just want to say I'm a younger conservative.
	I'm 27 years old, and I've grown up with you, so thank you for everything you do.
	First of all.
	Wow.
	You know, I remember, Linda, remember they used to call them Rush babies?
	Haley McEnany said, oh, yeah, I'm like a Rush Hannity baby.
	I'm like, oh, my gosh, you're making me feel.
	Yeah, you're part of that crew.
	No, what is, but I'm very honored.
	Michael, if I've had any positive impact in your life, I'm beyond humble.
	Thank you.
	Absolutely.
	And I grew up on Rush and you and all the grades of radio, George Norrie, Jim Bohan, and I've always loved radio.
	So, Sean is.
	Wow.
	You sound like me.
	That's how I grew up.
	Absolutely.
	And so what I was going to talk about, you know, last week you brought up something really important, which is the article from David Ignatius about Biden should not run in 2024.
	And, you know, he wrote this article amazingly to me.
	Why would he say that Biden governed from the center in a polarized nation?
	In my opinion, you know, Biden has not governed from the center whatsoever.
	Look at illegal immigration right now.
	Everyone's coming across the border.
	We're not, you know, we're not vetting these people.
	And, you know, Sean, basically, sorry, I'm a little nervous.
	The point I wanted to make was, you know, back in about 10 years ago, you may remember Obama's aunt.
	She was here illegally, and she said she had a limp or something wrong with her leg.
	And she was granted amnesty multiple times.
	But the issue here is that she was here illegally.
	So basically, the point I wanted to make is that we're letting people come across the border right now.
	They're here illegally, and they're criminals.
	They have no right to be here.
	So I just don't understand how, you know, David Ignatius could say that, you know, honestly, he governed from this, he governs from the center in a polarized nation.
	Biden has not made any effort whatsoever to work with the Republicans on immigration.
	And, you know, that's really the point that I wanted to kind of drive home.
	You know, Michael, you raise a lot of good points.
	And, you know, my prediction, if you remember, even before Maureen Dowd, I kept saying the thing to look for is, will the media mob begin to turn on him?
	Well, now very prominent left-wing liberal voices have turned on him.
	Anyway, now what are you going to do with your future?
	Let me ask that question before I go.
	Absolutely.
	Well, Sean, let me add real quick.
	I think it adds to a larger point.
	I think it adds to why so many younger people distrust the Washington Post and legacy media.
	Because in David Ignatius's one article where he could come out and he can be fully transparent and say, listen, Biden did not govern from the center.
	He's not doing that.
	So you say, well, why do younger people, millennials like myself, distrust legacy media?
	It's because these people are not being honest in their reporting.
	And, you know, it's people.
	Well, it's even worse than that.
	They just outright lie, spread conspiracy theories, and they're just partisan hacks.
	The only reason they're doing this now is because they don't think Joe can win.
	They're doubting he can win.
	Question, what are your career goals?
	Real quick, just give me a headline.
	Well, you know, right now I'm working for Goodwill, a donation company.
	But, you know, I want to help people.
	I've always loved politics.
	I was in young Republicans as a teenager.
	And, you know, the political system is always something I've been very passionate about.
	You know, how our democracy works, how legislation is made.
	And, you know, I love explosives.
	Let me give you some advice only because I'm up against the clock.
	You understand if you've been a listener to the show.
	Yes.
	Find your passion and then just find a way to make money out of enough that you can raise a family.
	Okay.
	Thank you so much, Sean.
	I appreciate it.
	Thank you so much.
	All right.
	Glad you're out there.
	800-941-Sean.
	All right, that's going to wrap things up for today.
	Hannity, 9 Eastern.
	Please set your DVR so you never ever miss an episode of Biden's disastrous speech at the UN, the House GOP, the looming government shutdown.
	What does it mean?
	How will Republicans handle?
	They got 11 days left.
	Chip Roy, Matt Gates tonight.
	And we'll have the latest on the energy crisis.
	And also, we'll check in with Nikki Haley tonight.
	9 Eastern, set your DVR.
	Hannity on Fox.
	Back here tomorrow.
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