ABC’s This Week went off the rails Sunday morning as fill-in host Martha Raddatz assaulted U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley with ridiculous questions about Russia, and at one point insinuated that she doesn’t speak for the U.S. “And you mentioned this. President Trump has said he respects Putin. But you say you don't trust him. You've said the U.S. needs to take hacking seriously. President Trump has been dismissive of it,” Raddatz prefaced before chided, “Which one of you should our allies and adversaries believe?”
Raddatz’s dismissal of the Ambassador borderlines on contempt of her position, and was completely uncalled for. “I think we're both saying the same thing. It's just being reported differently,” Haley politely responded. She pointed out that Trump agrees with her tough stance on Russia:
President Trump has agreed, this administration agrees Russia's involvement in Ukraine is wrong. And I think if you listened to what he said about the elections, of course, we don't want any country involved in our elections. And so that’s going to happen. I think Russia is very aware that they’re on notice when it comes to certain issues.
“You really think that you and President Trump are saying the same things,” Raddatz said in a way that sounded as though she was pitying Haley for her ignorance. After quoting the President’s interview with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, where he argued that the U.S. wasn’t “so innocent,” Raddatz sneered “So how does the U.S. maintain its role as the moral conscience of the world, you use your words this week, if the President won't condemn what is happening inside Russia?”
The ABC host wouldn’t let her answer:
HALEY: Well, Martha, this is what I can tell you. The President has not once called me and said, “don't beat up on Russia.” Has not once called and told me what to say. Has not once--
RADDATZ: But he isn't beating up on Russia! Should he be beating up on Russia? Again!
HALEY: I am.
RADDATZ: So he doesn't need to?
“The President has not disagreed one thing I've said. And that means he supports everything that I'm saying,” she insisted, “And I'm going along with everything that I know this administration believes in.”
Raddatz’s assertion was that the Ambassador’s efforts in U.N. to curb Russian aggression are not enough to convince the liberal media that the Trump administration was not a Russian puppet. It’s evident by how unhinged she became by Haley’s answer to a question about how the U.S. should respond to the Russian meddling in our election.
“I think that you know, first of all, the facts need to come out. That whole process needs to take place. And—,” was all Haley managed to get out before Raddatz started to yell over her. “What facts haven't come out?! 17 U.S. intelligence agencies said they did that. Do you believe them,” she demanded to know.
Haley calmly explained that she does believe Russia tried to meddle in the election and that there was “no question about that.” She elaborated and stated that the U.S. needed to wait until the full scope of the situation was revealed through the investigations, and then the country can act from there.
The hammering Raddatz gave the Ambassador was highly disrespectful. At one point she even accused the U.S. policy towards Syria of being to allow war criminal Bashar al-Assad to continue to be the ruler of Syria. This kind of harassment would not have flown if Barack Obama was still President. This kind of grilling was absent when his “thin red line” ultimatum came and went, nor when Haley's predecessor went on TV and lied to the American people about what was the cause of the Benghazi attack. But then again, this is the journalist who was fighting back tears on election night.
Transcript below:
ABC
This Week
April 2, 2017
9:04:11 AM…
MARTHA RADDATZ: But Ambassador Haley, this has to affect the U.S. relationship with Russia. What are you seeing?
NIKKI HALEY: Well, I can tell you that in my dealings with Russia in particular at the United Nations, we beat up on them because we thought what they did with Crimea and what is happening in Ukraine is wrong. And we called them out for it. What we’ve said is they are not being helpful in the way that they and Iran are covering up for Assad. We don’t think that’s helpful. We need their pressure when it comes to dealing with ISIS. And we also need their pressure when it comes to dealing with China and North Korea. So, there are certain things that we do work with Russia on, then there are things that, when they do something wrong, I have no problem calling them out on it.
RADDATZ: What do you think should happen to Russia for hacking into the U.S. election, for trying to influence the U.S. Election?
HALEY: I think that, you know, first of all, the facts need to come out. That whole process needs to take place. And—
RADDATZ: What facts haven't come out?! 17 U.S. intelligence agencies said they did that. Do you believe them?
HALEY: Certainly, I think Russia was involved in the election. No question about that. And I think when they finish with all of this process, yes, they need to address Russia. They need to act. And they to make sure they're loud about it. We don't want any country involved in our elections ever. And so, once that information comes out, I expect that will be handled accordingly.
…
RADDATZ [interrupting Haley]: Let's stay on Russia for a moment. And you mentioned this. President Trump has said he respects Putin. But you say you don't trust him. You've said the U.S. needs to take hacking seriously. President Trump has been dismissive of it. Which one of you should our allies and adversaries believe?
HALEY: I think we're both saying the same thing. It's just being reported differently. If you look at what Russia—About Russia and us calling them out. President Trump has agreed, this administration agrees Russia's involvement in Ukraine is wrong. And I think if you listened to what he said about the elections, of course, we don't want any country involved in our elections. And so that’s going to happen. I think Russia is very aware that they’re on notice when it comes to certain issues.
…
RADDATZ: You really think that you and President Trump are saying the same things. Let me tell you one thing President Trump recently said. He defended Putin after Fox News Bill O'Reilly called him a killer saying, “There are a lot of killers. Do you think our country is so innocent?” So how does the U.S. maintain its role as the moral conscience of the world, you use your words this week, if the President won't condemn what is happening inside Russia?
HALEY: Well, Martha, this is what I can tell you. The President has not once called me and said, “don't beat up on Russia.” Has not once called and told me what to say. Has not once--
RADDATZ: But he isn't beating up on Russia! Should he be beating up on Russia? Again!
HALEY: I am.
RADDATZ: So he doesn't need to?
HALEY: Of course. He's got a lot of things he's doing. But he is not stopping me from beating up on Russia. He's not stopping me from talking about the pressure China needs to be putting on North Korea. He's not stopping me with how we're working together to defeat ISIS. Right now, General Mattis and I are working on peacekeeping reforms and stability with those issues. So, the President has not disagreed one thing I've said. And that means he supports everything that I'm saying. And I'm going along with everything that I know this administration believes in.
…
