Politico and other websites are attempting to create another example of Rand Paul getting angry at journalists. The headline at Politico blared, "Rand Paul walks out of Guardian interview." When one looks at the footage, however, it's clearly a case of Paul completing an interview and leaving. Talking to reporter Paul Lewis of the liberal Guardian newspaper, Rand Paul informed, "I got time for one more question."
Lewis pressed Paul about his call to reform criminal justice laws and listed the people he thought would care about such a thing: " Young people do. Democrats do. Liberals do. You're standing for the Republican nomination." The journalist sneered, "All the research shows that Republicans, white Republicans, who are going to determine the outcome of this race, don't think that the criminal law is applied in an unfair way."
Lewis demanded "how are you going to win the nomination" while dealing with such people? Paul retorted, "I think your premise is correct. I think I can take that message into a white evangelical church anywhere in Iowa and give the exact same speech and be received well."
The Senator then left. Seizing the opportunity to spin this as Paul-esque anger, Lewis breathlessly jumped in front of the camera: "Okay, so we got our interview cut off. Maybe it was because I was going to push him on the specific of – Oh, the lights are off in fact! We're being told to go."
Politico writer Hadas Gold explained:
Paul's team later tweeted "We didn't turn the lights off and neither did my staff. CNN producers did. It was time for my interview with [CNN's Dana Bash.]"
Lewis later tweeted that a CNN producer was the one to turn out the lights.
"Pleased Rand Paul gave us a live Periscope interview. Shame he didn't seem keen on answering specifics," Lewis wrote.
Gold then connected this to previous Paul interviews:
The incident is the latest in a string of testy interviews Paul has had with the media. Earlier this week he clashed with "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, accusing her of editorializing her questions. As we reported earlier this week, Paul is well known among members of the media for being an accessible candidate, but one with a particularly prickly demeanor that could continue to cause him trouble as the campaign continues.
A transcript of the April 10 exchange:
RAND PAUL: I got time for one more.PAUL LEWIS: One more question for you, sorry we have to sometimes be a bit forceful, when you stand for president you get pressed and questioned and you understand that. Last question is about campaign strategy. You gave that speech in that hall and you got a lot of enthusiastic response from people who care about criminal justice. Young people do. Democrats do. Liberals do. You're standing for the Republican nomination. All the research shows that Republicans, white Republicans, who are going to determine the outcome of this race, don't think that the criminal law is applied in an unfair way. So how are you going to win the nomination with this –
PAUL: I think your premise is correct. I think I can take that message into a white evangelical church anywhere in Iowa and give the exact same speech and be received well.
LEWIS: Washington Post/ABC News poll last week said two in three – [Rand Paul walks out. ] This is a specific – Okay, so we got our interview cut off. Maybe it was because I was going to push him on the specific of [Lights turn off.] Oh, the lights are off in fact! We're being told to go.
