OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
There were fireworks when Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz clashed with CNN anchor Abby Phillip on over the impeachment attempt of President Joe Biden after one of the Republican’s sources was arrested for lying to the FBI.
The pair were discussing the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry against President Biden and the arrest of their source Alexander Smirnov, who was charged with lying to the FBI about the claim that the Ukrainian energy company Burisma bribed President Biden and his son Hunter Biden with $5 million each.
They host wondered if Rep. Gaetz thought some of his colleagues comments on the veracity of Smirnov’s allegations were “irresponsible,” he said, “A few of those characterizations might have been a little, a little over sauced, but I do think that the bribery can also go to a family member.”
“If you want to bribe a 75-year-old man, you pay their kids,” the Congressman said.
“Here’s the thing. You just acknowledged there’s actually no evidence of bribery,” the host said to which the Congressman replied, “I did not acknowledge that.”
“Here’s what you said, Congressman. This was in October at a private fundraiser. You said, ‘I don’t believe that we are endeavoring upon a legitimate impeachment of Joe Biden… They’re trying to engage in a forever war of impeachment, and like so many of our forever wars, it will drag on forever and end in a bloody draw.’ Honestly, it seems like maybe you were right the first time,” the host said.
“Given that, according to Jim Jordan, this was the most corroborating piece of evidence that they had, should they drop this impeachment?” she said.
“I disagree with Jordan that this is what’s most corroborating. I think what’s most corroborating are the payments to Hunter Biden and Frank Biden and James Biden. I was deposing James Biden and the way that they took money from the Chinese government would make your skin crawl,” the Congressman said.
“Now, that’s admittedly James Biden, not Joe Biden, but I do believe when these foreign governments are loading up the entire Biden family apparatus with cash, they’re not doing so to extract some sort of skill or service from these ne’er-do-well Bidens, they were doing it to influence Joe Biden,” he said.
“Everything that you’ve described is an inference,” the host said. “You actually haven’t given any proof of what you’re alleging.”
“But Abby, why do you think Burisma was paying Hunter Biden? Do you think they were paying him to figure out where to go buy crack in LA? I mean, they were paying him because he had access to Joe,” the Congressman said.
The host referenced that conservative lawyer Jonathan Turley said, “there’s not enough evidence to support articles of impeachment against Joe Biden.”
“Yeah,” the Congressman said.
“When Jonathan Turley said that we should’ve asked Jamaal Bowman to pull a fire alarm. It was a devastating moment for House Republicans,” he said.
The interview came the day before two CNN hosts announced their departure from the struggling “CNN This Morning” show.
On Friday, Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly announced that the broadcast would be their last and thanked everyone involved in making the show.
Harlow and Mattingly will be given new roles at the network and Kasie Hunt will be taking over a shortened version of the show.
“And before we go, a quick point of personal privilege, as the folks we cover on Capitol Hill might say. And the word ‘privilege’ here, I think, is particularly apt, because that’s what it has been every day and night and very early morning to work with our extraordinary team here. To our directors, our producers, bookers, writers, editors, APs, PAs, you are the heart and soul of something for which we’re both incredibly proud,” Mattingly said.
“Your immeasurable talents have infused every show. Your good humor, your smiles have filled every morning, and the fact that you were willing to share that with both of us while working, let’s charitably call them less-than-ideal hours. That’s a testament to your character and explains our shared and unyielding belief in your limitless futures,” he said.
“Somehow, in some remarkable way… I’m the problem here,” Harlow said.
“You guys have seemed to manage to keep me, mainly me, on time, in the right place at the right time. No surprise, Phil is early all the time and I’m running in at the last minute. But seriously, guys, we’d literally be nowhere without you. All while managing to crack the best jokes at the perfect time in every commercial break. As a viewer, you don’t get to see these folks. They are the real deal. They make it happen. You’ve seen their work every single morning. You and we are better for it. You are the best partner in the world, Phil Mattingly. We will see you all soon. That is it for us. Have a great weekend,” she said.
