‘Don’t Accuse Me!’ Tempers Flare as CNN’s Scott Jennings and Kate Bolduan Go at It Over Elon Musk

Tempers flared on Wednesday as CNN’s Scott Jennings and Kate Bolduan discussed a headline-producing Oval Office Q&A featuring Elon Musk.

Asked for his thoughts on Musk’s performance the previous afternoon, Jennings said “Well, look, Elon Musk, who doesn’t need to do this, has, you know, he could be doing anything else. He’s got companies, he’s the richest guy in the world,” as Bolduan scoffed at the point.

Jennings continued:

Has decided to give his own time to a government of a country that he loves, that has given him all this opportunity. I take him at his word that he wants to be transparent, that he invites transparency. Obviously, everybody in the English-speaking world media is looking into him every single day. I would have no fear if I were him about Congress, about Congress-

Then Bolduan interrupted again and the two talked over each other before tangling:

BOLDUAN: But the definition of it is he’s not been — on the front end of this so far — he’s not been transparent. I mean, there may be, if they-

JENNINGS: They’re making routine announcements about the things they are finding, and they are inviting questions about the things they are finding every single day.

BOLDUAN: But by definition he’s not being transparent. They’re not, they’re not providing data for the things that they say they have found evidence of. They just aren’t.

JENNINGS: Well, the White House is providing-

BOLDUAN: You can make announcements and he also did admit that he-

JENNINGS: So you just don’t believe it. I mean, they are they are providing information. you just choose not to believe that it’s true.

BOLDUAN: I don’t think I don’t think anyone should just believe that it’s true. Do you think that people have taken kickbacks of tens of billions of dollars from USAID? Do you believe that?

JENNINGS: Here’s what I think. I think every year-

BOLDUAN: No, but don’t accuse me of just like-

JENNINGS: I’m just asking you, do you believe that there is any level of fraud-, waste, fraud and abuse in-

BOLDUAN: No, no, no. That’s not what you’re asking me and I’m going to ask the questions. Don’t accuse me of just like-

JENNINGS: And so if you believe that, do you believe that it’s possible that they are finding and producing information about it? Of course they are.

BOLDUAN: That wasn’t my question. My question was: By definition, they’re not being transparent. They can continue to be successful-

JENNINGS: What do you want them to do?

BOLDUAN:   Provide data if they’re firing-, provide data that they have found people-, everyone would want to know if someone has received kickbacks to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.

JENNINGS: I don’t disagree with you. I love the idea of data. I love the announcements. I love them putting out regular reports of what they’re doing.

BOLDUAN: Right, they have not.

JENNINGS: And I love the idea of Congress also bringing them up to report to Congress on what they’re finding, because ultimately, Congress needs to be engaged in this as well. I have no problem with that, and I don’t think they do either. And that’s what I heard in his press conference yesterday.

BOLDUAN: Okay.

Watch above via CNN.