Stelter: Sen. McSally Calling Manu Raju a ‘Liberal Hack’ Shows How ‘Media Bashing Unites the GOP’

On CNN’s Reliable Sources this morning, Brian Stelter addressed the comments Senator Martha McSally made to reporter Manu Raju in a segment on Republicans “ducking questions” on the impeachment trial.

McSally called Raju a “liberal hack” in declining to answer his questions about the Senate trial.

Stelter said it was a “cheap shot” and added, “She then leveraged her insult through primetime appearances on Fox and fundraising efforts, which kind of seemed like the point all along.”

“It seems like media-bashing unites the GOP,” Stelter said, “but does the reluctance to answer questions, is the avoidance of basic questions — does that explain why there are new restrictions being put on Capitol Hill in time for the impeachment trial?”

Stelter discussed those restrictions with his panelists, along with the pushback from reporters and even C-SPAN.

At one point, Stelter asked what McSally was thinking in that moment making that comment, “knowing that Raju’s one of the most respected members of the press corps.”

Joe Lockhart said she used Raju as a “prop” to signal she’s with the president because “one of the ways you’re with the president is by criticizing the media, putting out misinformation, attacking and doing exactly what she did.”

You can watch above, via CNN.