The debate lasted around 15 minutes, but the most fiery clashes came in the second half. Hannity asked if Ellison thought the Nation of Islam should be "investigated" by the government. "I'm more of a constitutionalist, Sean," Ellison said. "You and I must agree that we wouldn't just investigate a group because we don't agree with them. We gotta have more than that. You'd agree with that, right? Wouldn't you agree with that?"

"Relax," Hannity said, adding that it seemed "reasonable" in light of 9/11 to investigate certain groups in the country.

He then turned to Mohammed Salman Hamdani, the Muslim-American firefighter who died on 9/11. Ellison broke into tears during controversial Congressional hearings on Islam in America while he recounted the negative press and attention Hamdani had been tarred with after the attack because of his religion. Hannity accused him of "misleading the American people" about the amount of criticism Hamdani had received, a point which Ellison vehemently denied. The two struggled to get their words in over each other. At one point, while Ellison was asking Hannity to let his speak, Hannity said, in exasperation, "go ahead, go, go, relax!"

Ellison concluded by asking Hannity to "stop trying to make it like only Muslims are the problem" when it comes to terrorism. Hannity, predictably, took issue with this.