Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum grilled California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell about Democratic House Judiciary members’ questioning of Attorney General Bill Barr during Tuesday’s hearing.
MacCallum called the day’s fireworks a “raucous hearing” before introducing Swalwell on Tuesday night’s “The Story with Martha MacCallum.” She then asked the congressman why his House Democratic colleagues wouldn’t let Barr “breathe and answer” questions.
“How is that a fair process?” she asked.
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“Well, the Attorney general doesn’t need an ice-cream cone before he sits down …” Swalwell joked.
“No, but he needs to be allowed to answer the question,” MacCallum interrupted.
“He’s a big boy, he answered the questions,” said Swalwell before pointing to a “productive” exchange between the two.
MacCallum pointed out House Democrats “wouldn’t let him answer a single question.”
“They kept saying, ‘oh, give me back my time, give me back my time.’ So here’s my question,” MacCallum asked. “Your committee has wanted him to come in here for a long time, right? I might think myself and a lot of other Americans wanted to see the exchange, because many of you have accused him of sidling up to the president, acting on his behalf. This was a golden opportunity for the country to hear what his answer was, and they didn’t get to hear what his answer was and I’m wondering if there was a fear that if he was given that opportunity that he might be persuasive to some people.”
The two went back and forth on comments during the hearing before MacCallum played a clip of an exasperated Barr saying after getting interrupted: “This is a hearing. I thought I was the one that was supposed to be heard.”
“Good question,” said the Fox News anchor. “I mean, you could have just propped up a picture of him and yelled at it.” (RELATED: ‘You’re A Real Class Act’: Barr Gets Sarcastic When Nadler Tries To Deny Him A Five-Minute Break)
“I don’t think he’s as weak as you are describing him,” Swalwell joked.
“You brought him in there to answer questions and then you didn’t give him a chance to answer,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what side of the fence you are on, anybody can watch that process and say that it was not a hearing. That was not a hearing.”