Sean Hannity vows to grill Jeb Bush on Common Core, immigration

Fox News host Sean Hannity vowed to grill former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) over his stances on Common Core and immigration in their interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.

{mosads}“Of course,” he told The Hill, when asked if he’d press Bush. “Absolutely.” 

“I am being fair to everybody and I’m going to ask questions that I think are going to be asked in our presidential campaign of all the candidates,” he added. 

Bush’s views on immigration and education reform have many grassroots conservatives skeptical of his conservative record.

His soft touch on immigration is believed by many to be a significant hurdle for the former Florida governor in the GOP primary. According to a CNN-ORC poll released late last year, Republicans say that Bush’s statement that some illegal immigration is an “act of love” to reunite families makes them less likely to vote for him. 

Common Core, especially, has become toxic in conservative circles. Bush didn’t implement the set of standards as Florida governor, but he’s supported them through his education foundation since leaving office. Bush has signaled he won’t change his stance on the issue to appease the base.

Bush will be looking to convince conservatives at the conference that he’s more than just a candidate that appeals to establishment-minded Republicans.

Speakers at this year’s CPAC had the option of giving a prepared speech or participating in a 20-minute question-and-answer session. Bush has decided on a Q&A with Hannity, a conservative firebrand with a reputation for challenging Republican leadership.

The interview will take place Friday afternoon at the annual conference, which attracts thousands of grassroots conservatives that are often skeptical of the party establishment.