Fox News host Sean Hannity tried to stir up more animosity between Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and federal authorities on Tuesday by implying that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and the Bureau of Land Management were planning a secret raid on the Bundy ranch.
Hannity asked the rancher to address fringe reports that BLM’s withdrawal from the conflict last weekend was just cover for a planned raid on his ranch down the road.
“I really don’t know nothing about that,” Bundy said.
“But let’s put these two things together here,” Hannity pressed. “We have Richard Mack, the former sheriff of Graham County, Ariz., he made the comment that he has sources inside the federal government warning that the weekend retreat was only a move to distract attention, diffuse tensions, because a raid on the family’s ranch is being planned. Couple that with Harry Reid’s comments that this is ‘not over.’ You gotta believe that something is brewing here, no?”
Bundy ignored the question and instead took the opportunity to hit back at Reid, who the rancher said Nevadans elected to take care of “United States business” in Washington.
“Harry, get back there and take care of that work and leave us alone here in Nevada,“ Bundy said. “You have no business here in Clark County, Nevada.”
“Well if he’s saying it’s ‘not over,’ and then you have a sheriff saying he has sources inside the government, what would happen … what would happen if they came in the early morning hours one day to your ranch?” Hannity pressed yet again.
“If they come, we’ll deal with them tonight,” Bundy responded. “If that’s what we’ve got to do, we’ll just deal with you. If you’ve got guts enough to do it, then come on.”
Reid spokeswoman Kristin Orthman dismissed speculation about a raid in a statement to TPM.
“There is no truth whatsoever to these conspiracy claims by right-wing websites,” she said.
Watch below, courtesy of Fox News:
This post has been updated.
Hannity is a symbol of everything that is wrong with this country. I dont know how he sleeps at night or what he thinks his kids are learning from his behavior
What’s that, Lassie? The liberals are back? They’re oppressing us again? Show me where, girl!
Hannity stokes paranoid apocalyptic fantasies, hoping for bloodshed that’ll help drive his ratings. Scum.
But it looks like there has yet to be a victory over carbohydrates…
Hannity is trying very hard to get someone or a few someones killed.