Bloomberg Host Has Heated Battle With House Democrat On Tlaib’s Israel Rhetoric: ‘You’ve Got Nothing To Say About It, Which Is Pretty Amazing’

Michigan Democrat Rep. Haley Stevens got into a heated battle with Bloomberg TV’s Jonathan Ferro Friday over comments from her fellow Michigan Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib about Israel this week.

On Friday’s Bloomberg Surveillance, Stevens came on to talk about President Joe Biden’s Thursday night speech on the Israel-Hamas war as well as the GOP’s continuing speaker fight, and during the interview was asked twice about Rep. Tlaib’s comments bashing Israel and blaming the only Middle East democracy for an explosion at a Gaza hospital that U.S and Israeli experts and intelligence communities agree was in fact the fault of Islamic Jihad.

Both times she was asked, Stevens refused to condemn or correct her colleague’s commentary.

Tlaib was first brought up by co-host Lisa Abramowicz, who after Stevens expressed her support for Israel, asked, “Do you think your fellow congresswoman from Michigan Rashida Tlaib is showing that compassion and helping the cause?”

“I’m not here to talk about any of my other colleagues. You’re asking me about my position and where I planned to vote as a member of Congress,” Stevens said, adding, “I don’t agree with all of my colleagues on their issues, but I will say that I am planning to support the President’s call for support for Ukraine and support for Israel.”

Ferro brought up Tlaib again after Stevens talked about the speaker fight affecting the ability of Congress to act quickly on behalf of ally Israel.

He first asked obliquely, saying, “Congresswoman, how are you going to work in a bipartisan manner if you’re unwilling to address the division in your own party?”

When Stevens said she didn’t know what division he was referring to, Ferro read aloud from a Tlaib tweet for the congresswoman’s reaction.

“So we’re talking about the speaker and we’re talking about 212 people are voting for Hakeem Jeffries, and he’s–” she began.

“You’re talking about that. Not what I’m talking about,” Ferro interrupted. “I just referenced the quote. You said you’re willing to address the division in your party, let’s do it right now. Why is that tweet still up?”

Stevens said, “That is one voice,” and it only got snippier and more confrontational between them from there:

FERRO: Let me highlight it right now, I’ll give you the quote. Rashida Tlaib: “Israel just bombed the Baptist hospital, killing 500 Palestinians just like that.” Tweet’s still up. Can read it. Different to what you think, isn’t it?

STEVENS: So we’re talking about the Speaker and we’re talking about 212 people are voting for Hakeem Jeffries, and he’s…

FERRO: You’re talking about that. Not what I’m talking about. I just referenced the quote. You said you’re willing to address the division in your party, let’s do it right now. Why is that tweet still up?

STEVENS: That is one voice. I do not control another member of Congress. I have been very clear about where I stand. We can see the votes time and time again, 400 plus members in this very body voting to support Israel, voting to support the Iron Dome. Those are my positions. I can sit here and try and argue with Jim Jordan, argue with Matt Gaetz, argue with the people who have different viewpoints that represent a very small minority. Look, the intelligence is out there about what happened with the hospital. I’m listening to Israel, I’m listening to the U.S. intelligence, and so is…

FERRO: And your Democratic colleague isn’t listening to it.

STEVENS: And so is my Democratic leader, my friend. So is my Democratic leader.

FERRO: And your Democratic colleague isn’t listening to it. Based on that. She isn’t. And you’ve got nothing to say about it, which is pretty amazing.

STEVENS: I just said my position, sir, I just said…

FERRO: Have you spoken to your Democratic colleague?

STEVENS: I – we have all spoken and my, our leadership has spoken and our president spoke last night. I really don’t understand what we’re debating here.

FERRO: Haley Stevens, thanks for being with us, Congresswoman from Michigan.

After the rather abrupt end, host Tom Keene commented that there is an “iron-clad” tradition in the House of not criticizing one’s colleagues or one’s fellow members of Congress within a party, which is not a decorum members of the media are willing to permit, much less demand, from Republicans, but okay.

Watch the clip from Bloomberg Surveillance above via Bloomberg TV.