Brain drain: Sean Hannity threatens to leave New York over Gov. Cuomo's comments on right-wing extremists

Gov. Cuomo said "extreme conservatives ... have no place in the state of New York." Predictably, Hannity flips

Published January 21, 2014 8:46PM (EST)

Fox News host Sean Hannity.                         (Facebook/Sean Hannity)
Fox News host Sean Hannity. (Facebook/Sean Hannity)

During a Friday radio interview, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made a rather banal statement.

Referring to "extreme conservatives" — whom Cuomo defined as being "right-to-life, pro-assault weapon, anti-gay" — Cuomo noted that some far-right politicians will not find much success among the Empire State's electorate. Or, as he put it, these extreme right-wingers "have no place in the state of New York."

The charge that anti-choice politicians won't find much success in New York is perhaps debatable. Abortion is a divisive issue among moderates and conservative Democrats, and opposition to pro-choice legislation is not the sole property of the political far right.

But the rest of Cuomo's comments? His contention that New Yorkers don't much take to the idea of deregulating assault weapons or discriminating against LGBT people? The proper response can be summed up in a single word: duh.

Perhaps noticing that his name hadn't been in the news for a bit, however, Fox News host and talk radio star Sean Hannity has decided to take maximum umbrage in response to Cuomo. He's even threatening to leave New York, in a huff of rage, and move instead to Florida or Texas — he's not sure yet which.

Speaking on his radio show on Monday, Hannity reacted to Cuomo with great indignation, saying that although he was "born and raised in New York," the conservative pundit "can't wait to get out of here."  He continued:

I don’t want to pay their 10-percent state tax anymore. I live in the second-highest property taxed county in the entire country in Nassau County. I can’t wait to sell my house to somebody who wants it. I can’t wait to pay no state income tax down in Florida or Texas. I haven’t decided yet, but I’m leaning Florida because I like the water and I like to fish.

Not content to simply take his ball and go home, Hannity also threatened to immiserate an unknown number of people who work on his programs:

Gov. Cuomo, I’m going to leave and I’m taking all of my money with me – every single solitary penny. And by the way, governor, because I work here – there’s a whole bunch of people that work for me and benefit because I do two shows. And I guess maybe some of them will be out of work, governor. I’m sure you’ll take care of them.

So, Gov. Cuomo and the entire state of New York, you're on notice! Your days of living luxuriously off of Sean Hannity's hard-earned tax money are soon coming to an end. Repent! Or follow him down south. Whichever.


By Elias Isquith

Elias Isquith is a former Salon staff writer.

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