CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday cornered Sen. James Risch (R-ID) on Tuesday for declining to stand against Donald Trump, asking if he’s “complicit if [he remains] silent in the face of” the president’s lies.
“When he lies about something and you know it’s a lie, shouldn’t you speak up?” Blitzer asked.
“That’s your job,” Risch shot back.
“It’s your job, you’re a United States senator, you’re a co-equal branch of the U.S. government,” Blitzer countered.
Turning to Sen. Jeff Flake’s (R-AZ) speech Tuesday denouncing the president and accusing fellow member of Congress of being “complicit,” Risch told Blitzer “that’s his view.”
“What’s your view?” Blitzer asked.
“That is not my view,” he replied.
“You say it’s the press, the news media, our responsibility to keep him honest,” Blitzer pressed. “[Trump] says we’re fake news.”
Risch said that he understands the president’s vitriol towards the media.
“You believe in the First Amendment, you believe in freedom of the press?” Blitzer asked Risch.
“You’re trying to drag me into something,” the senator responded.
Blitzer replied that he’d “expect [Risch] to speak out” at the president’s continued attacks on the First Amendment.
“You’ve got a job to do, I’ve got a job to do,” Risch said.
Watch below, via CNN:
When the President lies, and you know it’s a lie, shouldn’t you speak out?
— The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) October 24, 2017
Senator Risch tells @wolfblitzer: That’s your job pic.twitter.com/qM4dkZWySy
