Former "Weekly Standard" founder Bill Kristol defended CNN's congressional reporter Manu Raju on Friday, with Kristol stating that "if it’s liberal to hold public officials in our liberal democracy accountable for doing their job" then he guesses "he's liberal."
The commentary from Kristol comes one day after Sen. Martha McSally
Martha Elizabeth McSallyThe Hill's Morning Report - Presented by AT&T - Senate passes infrastructure bill, budget resolution; Cuomo resigns Schumer, Tim Scott lead as Senate fundraising pace heats up GOP group launches million ad campaign pressing Kelly on filibuster MORE (R-Ariz.), after being asked by Raju whether she wanted new evidence against President Trump
Donald TrumpOvernight Defense: Afghan flights restart as Biden vows to complete evacuation Trump says he 'single-handedly' picked Alabama for Space Command, contradicting Pentagon Overnight Health Care: Battle over masks in Florida escalates as two school districts given 48 hours to comply MORE to be considered as part of his impeachment trial, refused to answer the question while calling him a “liberal hack.”
Kristol, a staunch online critic of Trump going back to the early days of his candidacy, criticized McSally for taking "high fives" from conservatives over the encounter.
"McSally calling a reporter a 'liberal hack' for asking a question, and then taking high fives from today’s 'conservatives' for doing so, tempts me to say: If it’s liberal to hold public officials in our liberal democracy accountable for doing their job, then I guess I’m liberal," Kristol tweeted.
McSally, who faces a tough reelection this year, later promoted the exchange in a fundraising email and is selling T-shirts quoting her exchange with Raju that say, "You're a liberal hack, buddy,"
.@SenMcSallyAZ Campaign Rolls Out 'You're A Liberal Hack' T-Shirt https://t.co/MKHlGc13ru via @SaraCarterDC
— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) January 17, 2020
Several of Raju's CNN colleagues have defended Raju, most notably anchor Wolf Blitzer.
"Instead of answering a fair question, she simply called you a ‘liberal hack.’ It was disgusting, it was awful," Blitzer said on air while talking to Raju on Thursday evening. "She should know better. Certainly, you’re one of the most respected congressional reporters up on Capitol Hill."
"If they did the right thing, she would personally call you," Blitzer later added.
McSally dismissed calls for her to apologize during an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham
Laura Anne IngrahamTexas lt. governor faces backlash after claiming unvaccinated African Americans responsible for COVID-19 surge Fox News requires employees to provide vaccination status Psaki says Biden admin 'needs' Fox News in order to fight vaccine misinformation MORE on Thursday night.
“I’m a fighter pilot, you know. I called it like it is, and that’s what we see out of the mainstream media, especially CNN, every single day, so obviously I’m going to tell the truth, and I did it today and it’s laughable how they’ve responded," she said on "The Ingraham Angle." "They're cheerleading the Democrats, they hate the president."
