A socialist candidate told Sean Hannity that billionaires should be ‘taxed out of existence,’ but wouldn’t give a tax rate for the middle class

Fox News host Sean Hannity pressed democratic socialist congressional candidate Oliver Larkin for a specific tax number during a heated interview on Monday night. As detailed by Mediaite, the segment quickly turned combative as Hannity repeatedly demanded that Larkin state a concrete percentage for how much of their income middle-class Americans should keep.

Larkin is one of two Democrats competing for the newly drawn Florida District 25 seat, which stretches from South Beach to Delray Beach. The seat is being contested ahead of the August 18 primary, with candidates on both sides sparring over affordability, taxes, and the cost of living in the district.

When the conversation turned to the ultra-wealthy, Larkin made his stance on billionaires clear. “I think that billionaires should be taxed out of existence,” he told Hannity, specifically naming Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk. Hannity groaned at the response and accused the candidate of wanting to punish the country’s most creative and successful people.

Hannity never got the number he wanted

Hannity turned the conversation back to a more direct question, asking how much of every dollar someone earning $100,000 a year should be allowed to keep. Larkin pushed back, telling Hannity the answer was not that simple and steering the discussion back toward the billionaire class rather than the middle class. The dodge mirrors a broader argument raging over how loosely both parties are now throwing around the term socialism, amid a separate clash over the socialism label playing out elsewhere in the news cycle this week.

Hannity tried again, this time asking about a hypothetical taxpayer earning $500,000 annually, and Larkin again avoided giving a figure, suggesting instead that the rate should be proportional. The interview ended without Hannity getting the specific numbers he wanted from his guest.

The exchange comes as fellow Democrat Jared Moskowitz, who has centered his own campaign on affordability and health care, competes against Larkin for the nomination. While five Republican candidates, including Boca Raton mayor Scott Singer, campaign on tax cuts and spending reductions, amid ongoing questions about a third term shaping the broader national conversation around the GOP’s future.

The Florida District 25 primary will be held on August 18, 2026, with the winners advancing to the general election later this year.