GOP lawmaker blows top at anchor’s pointed questions

U.S. Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) got testy at CNN anchor Brianna Keilar after repeated questions about the House Republican’s support of President Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion shush fund for so-called “weaponization,” which includes the prosecution of people involved in the Jan. 6 attempted disruption of democracy.

Keilar first warmed up Flood with a clip of Flood getting berated by constituents at a recent town hall meeting wherein audience members demanded Flood and Republicans “tax the rich” to pay for Trump’s unpopular policies, including Trump’s war in Iran, the White House ballroom, immigration enforcement, the Trump arch and the “slush fund for crooks,” according to one audience member.

“We pay for it by making — by making decisions …” Flood began to answer before he was inundated by catcalls from the audience to “tax the rich!”

“So, your solution is to tax the rich?” Flood demanded of the audience amid the rancor.

His question was answered by being buried beneath a sea of cheers.

It was then that Keilar brought on Flood to answer for Trump’s woefully unpopular slush fund.

Flood offered no replies on how to oppose the fund, or even to oppose it, saying the fund should be used to pay cash to anti-abortion protestors who locked answers with the law, among other victims. He only insisted that he made “very clear” that he didn't think money from this fund should be given to people who assaulted police.

Keilar pointed out that acting attorney general, Todd Blanche picks four of the fund commissioners, and the president can fire them at any time. But Flood again offered no response, which prompted Keilar to point out that Senate Republicans all but revolted against the fund by abandoning the Capitol.

“Should House Republicans be approaching this the same way?”

“I don’t know why they left last week,” Flood said, before again defending the fund’s use by alleged government victims. “… but we've moved on. We've moved on. This fund exists. There will be Congressional oversight. What it will look like, I can't predict right now.”

And when Keilar pointed out that Trump’s IRS settlement bars the IRS from ever auditing the president and his family, Flood first played ignorant, but then exploded in protest.

“I have not read the settlement agreement. I intend to read the settlement agreement. I'm sure every American that is interested can look at it. You're not a tax attorney. I'm not a tax attorney. I don't know what the standard practice is in these situations. We might be talking about boilerplate language that is used in a common settlement. We don't know. I'm talking about—you’re asking me questions about a legal document that I have not reviewed.”

“It's not, it's not boilerplate language,” insisted Keilar. “It's not boilerplate language. But I understand that you are not in a position to speak about it.”

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