House Republican Unloads on CNN’s Jim Sciutto Over Debt Ceiling Questions: ‘Love This Revisionist History!’
CNN’s Jim Sciutto clashed with Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) over debt ceiling negotiations between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and the Republican got irritated enough that he decided to blast the entire network.
Sciutto pressed Johnson for specific spending Republicans would like to see cut, though Johnson made it clear from the jump that he would not be negotiating spending on TV.
“That’s not how a negotiation works,” Johnson said.
Sciutto pushed back and again asked what programs House Republicans wanted cut from an already-approved budget.
Johnson continued to refuse to name specific programs and then lashed out at CNN and accusing Sciutto and others of loving pushing blame on the GOP.
“See, I think that’s ridiculously unfair and here is why, the credit card bill comes to our family, we have maxed out our credit cards. Now of course, listen, we are going to pay that credit card bill, we’re legally obligated to do so, but rather than force all of the onus on the Republicans, which I know y’all love to do, what a responsible, reasonable and sensible family would do is sit down together —”
“By the way, I’m not doing that, sir,” Sciutto said, jumping in. “I’m not putting all the onus on Republicans, that’s the law. The law puts the onus on Congress and the nation to pay its bill.”
The CNN host again asked for a specific program Johnson wants to see cut.
“There are lots of programs, but the point is I’m not going to negotiate against the Republican Party on CNN,” Johnson said.
Sciutto was committed to his mission as he later asked Johnson if there was specific spending cuts he would like to see in the defense budget, irritating Johnson once more.
“I get what your goal is here today, your goal is try to get the Republicans to negotiate against themselves and to try to identify programs —”
“My only goal,” Sciutto said, “is to find out what your positions are when you’re going into a budget negotiation.”
The two continued to clash, with John accusing Sciutto of “revisionist history” when he argued Republicans did not put up the same “to the brink” debt ceiling fights under Republican presidents like Donald Trump.
“I love this revisionist history!” Johnson said, arguing past Republican presidents had been more willing to negotiate than Biden.
Negotiations on which spending programs to cut, according to the lawmaker, need to begin with the president, not Republicans. Sciutto moved on from the topic by saying he’s asked similar questions of House Democrats and he was willing to show Johnson the tapes. Johnson did not take him up on his offer.
Watch above via CNN.
