“Let me finish, big guy”: Fox host Brian Kilmeade squabbles with House Freedom Caucus member over GOP dysfunction
Kilmeade: “If the government gets shut down, Republicans get the blame because they are not even providing even a CR. ... And that's OK?"
Published
Citation From the September 19, 2023, edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends
BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): So, in other words, if you have colleagues that you respect like Chip Roy — you obviously don't like Speaker McCarthy. If people like Chip Roy and Scott Perry —
REP. MATT ROSENDALE (R-MT): It's not about who I like. It's not about who I like.
KILMEADE: Well, no, no, with respect.
ROSENDALE: Brian, it's about doing the job for the American people.
KILMEADE: Let me finish. Let me finish, big guy. Scott Perry and Chip Roy said I need another month, and you say I'm not giving you another month. So the government shutdown — who get blamed to the government shuts down. Who gets blamed?
ROSENDALE: This is about messaging. Again, you are getting back to what this is all about. It's about messaging. Let's sit down, let's take the time that we have remaining, let's develop the appropriation bills, all 12 of them.
KLIMEADE: You could do it in seven days? You can do it in seven days?
ROSENDALE: Huh?
KILMEADE: You can do it in seven days?
ROSENDALE: Oh absolutely. Brian, we can accomplish anything we want to in 48 hours in this city. But you have to want to do it. I'm willing to stay here. I would have stayed here all the way through August, Brian.
But you have to have leadership that says this is what we are going to do. This didn't arise seven days ago, Brian. We've known for nine months we were supposed to develop the appropriations bills. They have known for years. They're not doing it. I was not sent here to kick the can down the road. We're adding $2 trillion of debt to the national debt every single year.
KILMEADE: Congressman, you just know if the government gets shut down, Republicans get the blame because they are not even providing even a CR, a pathway to a CR. You're saying I'm not going to go for 30 day, so the government shuts down. That means your investigations stop, that means the border funding doesn't happen, and that's OK?
ROSENDALE: Who are you getting your talking points from, Brian?
KILMEADE: It's called research.
ROSENDALE: Let's stay here and get the appropriation bill.
KILMEADE: It's called research, congressman. If you don't agree with what I'm saying. it doesn't mean talking points. You just don't agree with what I'm saying.
ROSENDALE: It does because we can stay — Brian, we can stay here and develop the appropriation bills. The work has already begun. OK? We need to complete it. Why is Speaker McCarthy not allowing for the appropriation bills to be completed and brought forward so that the body of Congress can vote on that?That's the question.