Right wing political analyst Meghan McCain took offense at dogged White House correspondent and CNN host Kaitlan Collins after Collins asked Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sharp and pointed questions about a report Gabbard released last week during Wednesday’s White House briefing.
McCain went on the attack, calling on President Donald Trump to “pull her credentials.”
“Kaitlan Collins is an absolute imbecile and a pure partisan hack,” the daughter of longtime Sen. John McCain, who died from a brain tumor in 2018 and did not like Trump, said in a post on X.
“Have some respect for the two women standing in front of you who are exposing lies, deep corruption and keeping the country safe,” McCain continued.
“The White House should pull her credentials,” she added.
Collins is known for her direct questions and that was on full display when she grilled Gabbard and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about Gabbard’s calls to prosecute former President Barack Obama and other officials for participating in a so-called “treasonous conspiracy” related to the 2016 presidential election.
In a newly unclassified report, Gabbard accused Obama and other officials of manipulating and withholding key information relating to Russian meddling in the election.
Gabbard said Friday she’s providing intelligence to the Department of Justice “to deliver the accountability that President [Donald] Trump, his family, and the American people deserve,” Politico reported.
“No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, to ensure nothing like this ever happens again,” Gabbard said in the statement.
At the press briefing, as Gabbard stood next to Leavitt at the podium, Collins pointedly asked, “There are people who believe that you’re only releasing these documents now to improve your standing with the president after he said that your intelligence assessments were wrong.”
Collins was referring there to Trump’s criticism of Gabbard over her statements that Iran’s nuclear program “was not a threat” in the months before Trump decided to bomb Tehran’s nuclear sites.
Gabbard denied it. “The evidence and the intelligence that has been declassified and released is irrefutable,” Gabbard insisted before Leavitt jumped to Gabbard’s defense.
“Who is saying that that she would release this to try and boost her standing with the President. Who has said that?” Leavitt shot back at Collins.
“The President has publicly undermined her when it came to Iran. He said she was wrong. He told me on that she didn’t know what she was talking about. That was on Air Force One on camera,” Collins informed Leavitt.
Leavitt then bashed reporters and the media.
“The only people who are suggesting that the director of national intelligence would release evidence to try to boost her standing with the president are the people in this room who constantly try to sow distrust and chaos amongst the president’s cabinet.”
Leavitt then insisted the President “has the utmost confidence in director Gabbard.”
Social media under McCain’s post worked itself into a frenzy over the exchange.
“When a journalist lets personal contempt bleed into their coverage, they cease to be an impartial reporter and become a political actor. Kaitlan Collins’ open disdain for President Trump strips her of journalistic credibility and turns CNN into an opinion machine, not a news outlet,” this X user said.
X user Sean Colarossi didn’t hold back in responding to McCain.
“Respect? Those two women are jokes who continue to beclown themselves in service of a bronzer-wearing pervert — a man your dad was smart enough to loathe. You’re a lost cause, Meg, and an absolute embarrassment to the last name you kept.”
And yet another user told McCain her dad would be truly disappointed in her.
“Really sad to see you take the side of the man your father despised. John McCain would have been the best imaginable president.. He was thwarted by corrupt Christian nationalists now behind Trump. Twice.”
Great Job Shelby E. & the Team @ Atlanta Black Star Source link for sharing this story.
