A Donald Trump administration official got in a heated back-and-forth with a CNN anchor who cut him off during a live broadcast on Thursday.
CNN's Brianna Keilar was interviewing Doug Collins, Veterans Affairs secretary, and sharing a letter from 350 doctors, psychologists, nurses, and researchers who raised "urgent concerns about proposed policies which, in addition to ones already enacted, will undermine VA's healthcare system, overwhelm VA's budget, and negatively affect the lives of all veterans."
Keilar described what was included in the letter and reported on the ongoing government shutdown, explaining that they have testimony and evidence, and asking Collins if his agency was seeking that information.
"I tell you, I'm sure they'll run to you to let them know what they think they have. But I can just go on the facts that I run," Collins said.
But Keilar pushed back — and cut him off — asking again.
"I'm not asking that. I'm asking are you interested in hearing that? If they have evidence," she added.
"I actually read the letter. If you want me to talk, I'll talk. If you want to talk, I'll be happy to let you know," Collins griped, sounding noticeably irritated by the interruption.
"Oh, please go ahead," she said.
"I mean, I've read the letter. It's interesting. A couple of the doctors actually quoted in some of the articles or either not affiliated full-time with the VA," Collins said. "They deal with some of our graduate medical education folks. What we're dealing with right here, if they have stuff to bring forward, they want to bring it forward. We have plenty of opportunities to show inside our system, if they're doctors inside our system, to talk about issues that they have, they have ways to complain. That has never been shut down."