NBC’s Katy Tur’s interview with Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) could go down as one of the most cringe-worthy “gotcha” interviews of the year. Tillis seemed as comfortable as President Donald Trump in a room full of handsy Evangelical preachers while Tur questioned him about the president’s bizarre allegation that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his office in Trump Tower during the 2016 election season.
Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was initially invited to answer questions concerning Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. However, before letting him go, Tur thought she’d also ask Tillis his opinion on if the president hurt his reputation by making false allegations in which he painted President Obama as a criminal.
In his response, the senator decided to throw out some vague statement about their continuing investigation of “the facts.”
Sen. Tillis started:
“Well, I think we’re continuing look at the facts. And they are what they are…”
However, Tur was in no mood to hear a bunch of noncommittal babble from a senator who apparently didn’t want to answer her question directly.
Tur asserted firmly:
“The facts are that there was no wiretap.”
Tillis meekly countered:
“Which if those are the facts, and that’s where we end up, then I accept those at face value.”
Unfortunately for the senator, Tur was in rare form as she would not let him off the hook with his non-answer.
Tur said flatly:
“Well, that’s not what I asked. Does it hurt the credibility of the president?”
The Senator, taken aback, tried to pass the question (like a hot potato) off to Trump and his team.
Tillis replied in a tone dripping with condescension:
“Well, I … ya know, I think that’s a question to ask the president and his advisers. I’m a U.S. senator from North Carolina. I’m worried about doing the business on Capitol Hill. I’m not going to get into the parlor games and the political discussions about a separate and co-equal branch.”
However, Tur was not so easily thrown off his scent, as the reporter apparently smelled blood and decided to press harder. Tur asked the senator again (with maybe a little touch of sarcasm):
“You’re a member of the Republican party, you’re also representing the American people, and it’s your president. Do you believe his credibility was hurt?”
Tillis squirmed and answered:
“I think that’s something after all the facts are in after all the committee work is done, ask me that question then and I’ll give you an answer.”
Tur was mercifully about to end the interview, but the senator kept rambling on.
“It’s in the preliminary stages, but I appreciate the question. I think we have a lot of questions still yet to be asked.”
At this point, Tur had enough of the Senators B.S., and straight up called him out. She said:
“Well, it’s not in the preliminary stages on whether or not President Obama ordered a wiretap of Trump Tower. That has been shot down by the FBI director and the head of the NSA. So that’s not in the preliminary stages.”
There was a very pronounced awkward silence as the Senator sat there with a frozen dumbfounded half-smile on his face.
Then Tur asked the mute senator with a pleasant but almost vicious smile:
“No answer?”
Tillis clumsily replied:
“Well the point is, is that you’ve heard from one person. I’m assuming that the committee is going to go through and exhaust all other sources. That’s what I was referring to.“
“Look I have great respect for director [James] Comey, the senator continued, “Where people here have waxed and waned, I have a lot of confidence in him. And I appreciate his perspective.”
“If that’s the only perspective that gets offered through this process, that’s one thing. But I want to give the committees that I’m not a part of, the opportunity to go through that process.
And quite honestly I spent most of my time in the Judiciary Committee yesterday, where we all spent about four or five hours in opening statements and Judge Gorsuch’s opening statement, so I haven’t had a lot of time to really study. And to know where they go from here in terms of the committee work.”
Tired of playing with her food, Tur went in for the kill, citing the multiple sources who’ve echoed Comey’s conclusion.
“On wiretapping it was FBI Director Comey, it was Admiral Mike Rogers the head of the NSA, It was Devin Nunez the Chairman of the Intelligence Committee in the House, and it was Adam Shift the ranking member as well, and also the former DNI James Clapper.”
Utterly defeated, Tillis squeaked:
“Yeah, they build a very compelling case.”
Aspirated, Tur finally ends the interview, much to the senator’s relief. She concluded:
“But anyway, I’m going to leave it here. Senator…”
The interview was a perfect example of a journalist doing her job and a politician squirming like an eel to avoid answering her simple but consequential question. This interview was not unlike the one Tur had with a regretful GOP Congressman after he the gall to question her motives.
We need more of this in journalism folks, politicians from both sides should always feel this kind of heat from the media as well as from their constituents.
Check out the look on Tur’s face right before she says, “No answer.”
Featured Image Via YouTube Video.
