‘You Can Make the Face!’ Jessica Tarlov Battles Fox News Anchor Over Graham Platner

Fox News anchor Trace Gallagher moderated a panel discussion between Fox host Jessica Tarlov and conservative commentator Noah Rothman on Wednesday, which featured Tarlov and Gallagher battling over the Democratic Party’s response to Graham Platner.

Gallagher argued during the discussion that Democrats had protected Platner, despite the wave of scandals leading up to the allegation of sexual assault against the Maine Senate candidate.

“I would say this: not only were they covering for him — and you talked about red lines, we talked about, okay, they hit this — they were, they were literally calling him not just “oh, bad guy, I’ve got some problems.” They were calling him a “man of values” until the sexual allegations came out,” Gallagher said.

Tarlov shot back, “I have never called Graham Platner that.”

Gallagher replied as they spoke over each other, “I didn’t say you did, but the Democratic Party was calling him a man of values.”

Tarlov jumped in, “I’m the one who’s sitting here talking to you about how the average Democrat I talk to — and certainly people within the larger party infrastructure — were always uncomfortable with Graham Platner and his behaviors. I will say, though, something that has not changed since we heard from Jenny Racicot: the Democrats will not be lectured by the party of Donald Trump and Ken Paxton.”

As Gallagher scoffed, Tarlov continued, “No — you can make the face, Max Miller — and say that we’re the bad guys who are flipping standards, or that we’re going to be told from on high about what good behavior is when it comes to how women are treated and questions of abuse. That is a non-starter here. We want to win the Senate. We are in a good position. And Ken Paxton just spent the 4th of July in London — in Iowa, it’s looking like it could work. But all roads have to go through Maine. We need a strong candidate there, and my hope is that we will get that.”

Gallagher replied, “Except it’s very emblematic of the Democratic Party to continue to say — regardless of staying on topic, regardless of what the issue is, regardless of anything — ‘no way, it’s all Trump.’ ‘It’s Trump.’ ‘Well, remember Trump.’ And how can you say — I just also said Max Miller, I talked about — but it’s an interesting thing when it kind of goes back to: let’s just talk about the topic at hand. I mean, that’s the whole thing. And I think an important part of this is the covering-up continuing.”

Rothman then jumped in and offered a bridge between the two points of view, “Yeah, well, I think Jessica is right. Both parties, on a primary basis, subordinate discretion and subordinate character in order to embrace passion and enthusiasm. And a lot of times what they embrace is somebody who channels energies that are not necessarily civic-minded — that are just really enthusiastic and don’t reflect civic values. I think that’s a fair thing to say. But when you say ‘but Donald Trump,’ ‘but Ken Paxton,’ it must be an ‘also,’ as opposed to an excuse to avoid looking inward — to avoid confronting the problems facing you that only you have agency to address.”

Gallagher ended it there: “Noah, Jessica — thank you both.”

Watch above via Fox News.

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