Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became quite agitated during an interview with Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan, aired on Sunday, when the CBS anchor dared to mention Republican criticism of the impeachment process against President Trump.
During what was a softball interview that allowed Pelosi to push for impeachment and claim that the Ukraine controversy was “so much worse” than Watergate, Brennan started to ask: “Well, Republicans argue here – ” Pelosi immediately cut her off: “I really have a real discomfort level of responding to what Republicans say because they are in denial about what has happened in the country.”
The Democratic leader lectured the journalist: “I find it a waste of my time and yours to just be talking about what Republicans say.”
Brennan tried to appease her guest by making it clear the question was designed to give Pelosi an easy chance to knock down GOP objections: “I want to just let you respond, though, to the argument that’s being made in messaging by Republicans here. That the grounds for the impeachment – ”
Pelosi continued to whine about the legitimate line of questioning:
No, but I don’t want to respond. Let it stand. Let their arguments stand because it’s on such quicksand that I don’t even want to have it given any more visibility by my dignifying any of their misrepresentations of what they say.
The Democrat then condescendingly added: “And I say that out of great respect for you because I respect you as a great journalist and I’m honored to have this interview with you. But I say to everybody else, I’m not here to talk about what they say because they’re not facing the reality of what is happening to our country.”
At that point, Brennan decided to just follow orders and ask something Pelosi would be more comfortable with: “So Chairman Schiff has said he learned of the whistleblower complaint September 9th. The aid was released days later. The military aid that’s in question here. Do you see a connection there?”
Amazingly, Brennan never mentioned that Schiff had publicly lied about the House Intelligence Committee speaking to the anonymous whistleblower before the complaint was filed.
Earlier in the exchange, Brennan wondered: “You think Democrats have had a good week?” Pelosi eagerly proclaimed: “Well, I think the American people have had a good week. I think truth has had a good week. I think patriotism has had a good week. And I think the Constitution has had a good week. I don’t think the President has had a good week.”
Later, the House Speaker suggested Trump should resign: “I mean, what the President did was so much worse than even what Richard Nixon did, that at some point Richard Nixon cared about the country enough to recognize that this could not continue.”
Pelosi’s harsh reaction to Brennan wasn’t that surprising. During a press conference on Thursday, she attacked Sinclair reporter James Rosen for asking a tough question about impeachment and labeled him “Mr. Republican Talking Points.”
When Trump criticizes the press, reporters clutch their pearls and claim he is endangering their lives. When Pelosi does it, the same liberal media respond, “Thank you ma’am, may we have another?”
Here is a transcript of the exchange between Brennan and Pelosi, aired on the November 17 Face the Nation:
10:38 AM ET
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MARGARET BRENNAN: You think Democrats have had a good week?
NANCY PELOSI: Well, I think the American people have had a good week. I think truth has had a good week. I think patriotism has had a good week. And I think the Constitution has had a good week. I don’t think the President has had a good week.
BRENNAN: Well, Republicans argue here –
PELOSI: You know what? If – if we could just talk about what we want to do – I – I really have a real discomfort level of responding to what Republicans say because they are in denial about what has happened in the country. So if you want to ask me about where we’re going on this I’m happy to respond to that. But I – I – I – I find it a waste of my time and yours to just be talking about what Republicans say.
BRENNAN: Well, I – I want to just let you respond, though, to the argument that’s being made in messaging by Republicans here. That the grounds for the impeachment –
PELOSI: No, but I don’t want to respond. Let it stand. Let their arguments stand because it’s on such quicksand that I don’t even want to have it given any more visibility by my dignifying any of their misrepresentations of what they say. And I say that out of great respect for you because I respect you as a great journalist and I’m honored to have this interview with you. But I say to everybody else, I’m not here to talk about what they say because they’re not facing the reality of what is happening to our country. And this is about our democracy that is at risk with this President in the White House.
BRENNAN: So Chairman Schiff has said he learned of the whistleblower complaint September 9th. The aid was released days later. The military aid that’s in question here. Do you see a connection there?
PELOSI: Of course. The President wasn’t going – the – the Republicans like to say, if you want to talk about them, “Oh, it doesn’t matter, the aid was released.” No, the whistle was blown. The whistle was blown. And that was blown long before we heard about it. Don’t forget that in between all of that came the inspector general, an inspector general appointed by President Trump. And the inspector general said that this was of urgent concern. And so that is what intervened.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Can you help walk the American people through what happens next? We have another week of hearings.
PELOSI: Yes.
BRENNAN: There’ll be an intelligence report written up. And then what? Does the President get, as he says, to confront his accuser or get due process?
PELOSI: What do you mean confront his accuser? Confront the whistleblower?
BRENNAN: Presumably, that’s what he means.
PELOSI: Well, I will make sure he does not intimidate the whistleblower. So the President could come right before the committee and talk, speak all the truth that he wants, if he wants to –
BRENNAN: You don’t expect him to do that?
PELOSI: – if he wants to take the oath of office [sic] or he could do it in writing. He has every opportunity to present his case.
But it’s really a sad thing. I mean, what the President did was so much worse than even what Richard Nixon did, that at some point Richard Nixon cared about the country enough to recognize that this could not continue.
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