Full Breakdown
Florida Democratic Socialist Candidate Pressed on Tax Details in Sean Hannity Interview
8/15/2026, 9:59:52 PM
The Interview: Larkin’s Refusal to Cite Specific Rates
During a televised interview on a Monday night, Fox News host Sean Hannity repeatedly asked congressional candidate Oliver Larkin to provide concrete tax percentages for middle-class earners and for billionaires. Hannity sought a number for an individual earning $100,000 a year and later for someone making $500,000, but Larkin responded that the appropriate rate “depends on income” and declined to name a figure.
Candidate Background & Platform
Oliver Larkin, a Democratic Socialist of America-aligned candidate for Florida’s newly drawn District 25, previously volunteered for then-Senator Barack Obama in 2008 and ran a New Hampshire field office for Senator Bernie Sanders in 2016. In the interview he highlighted a platform that includes Medicare-for-all, universal child care, and higher Social Security tax caps, positioning these policies as pragmatic solutions for South Florida residents.
Official Statements & Responses
Larkin framed his campaign as “pragmatic” and focused on health-care and child-care priorities rather than tax labels. He praised the high top-marginal rates of the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower eras but stopped short of proposing a specific modern rate. Hannity, representing a conservative viewpoint, argued that raising taxes on “the most brilliant” billionaires would punish innovation and repeatedly demanded a numeric answer.
Verbatim Quote
- “I'm coming at the race from a pragmatic point of view of what the American people and the people of South Florida need, and that is Medicare-for-all, that is universal child care, that is the policy proposals that you just articulated on your show,” — Oliver Larkin
Upcoming Primary
The contest for the District 25 seat will be decided in the scheduled primary on August 18, 2026, with the winner moving on to the November general election.
