Trump Ally Lashes Out as NewsNation Anchor Confronts Him Over Shutdown ‘PR Crisis’

Tommy ChristopherNov 6th, 2025, 9:40 am

Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) lashed out when NewsNation anchor Leland Vittert confronted him over the government shutdown “PR crisis,” saying, “You’re a better journalist than that!”

After an election night that saw Democratic landslides in races that were supposed to be close and losses for causes Trump heavily supported, the president gave a talk to Senate Republicans at the White House, acknowledging the negative effects of the government shutdown on Republicans.

“I think if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans, and that was a big factor,” Trump said.

On Wednesday night’s edition of NewsNation’s On Balance with Leland Vittert, Marshall took great exception to the notion that the shutdown is a PR crisis for Republicans:

LELAND VITTERT: How much longer, though, are the American people going to suffer? And we’ve talked about this for the past couple of weeks on the show, right?

We’ve already have food stamps running out, if not now, certainly by Thanksgiving. You’re going to have 10% fewer flights.

By Thanksgiving, there is going to be news anchors doing a show in the morning from an airport and in the afternoon from a food pantry.

And it’s Republicans who control the House, the Senate, and the White House. It was President Trump who just said it.

We don’t have to play the sound bite again. But he said if you read the pollsters the shutdown was a big factor negative for Republicans. How long can you afford this PR crisis?

SENATOR ROGER MARSHALL (R-KS): Now, Leland, you’re a better journalist than this! You know it takes 60 votes in the Senate to fund the government, okay? So despite us controlling the House and the White House and the Senate, it takes sixty votes to do that.

LELAND VITTERT: You’re right, you’re right. I am a better journalist. And I guess implying that I was saying that you don’t need seven democratic votes. You do.

I’m also a good enough journalist to know how things are playing politically. And don’t ask me. Ask the president of the United States.

I think if you read the pollsters the shutdown was a big factor, negative for Republicans.

So do you also disagree with the president that the shutdown is bad for Republicans?

SENATOR ROGER MARSHALL (R-KS): It’s not good for anybody that’s for sure it’s kind of like who’s the worst of the bunch.

But I really think you’re conflating a lot of different things here Leland.

To me I think we need to go back to why this is important. That Republicans want to work towards a balanced budget.

Yes we want to get the government open but we’re not going to do it at the expense of compromising more of a budget.