'How can Americans take any of you seriously?' Republican grilled by CNN anchor

Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) took a veiled shot at House Speaker Mike Johnson during a CNN interview where co-anchor Briana Keilar used the opportunity to throw her own jabs at Republicans' crackdown on what they call "activist" judges.

The exchange unfolded Tuesday as Lee appeared on CNN’s “News Central” just after Speaker Mike Johnson canceled voting in the House for the rest of the week following his defeat on a bid to block proxy voting for members of Congress who are new parents.

Lee made clear where she stands on the fractious debate led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL).

“It really is the belief, certainly of Republicans in Congress – most of them – that we have a constitutional responsibility to be here in the nation's capital,” Lee said Tuesday. “That’s what our founders had in mind,” she added.

The Florida lawmaker, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, went on to discuss the Republican-led hearing focused on the role of judges and their issuance of nationwide injunctions – a topic that sent Keilar offering Lee a lesson on the not-so-distant past.

“So something that is different here is you have the White House calling Judge [James] Boasberg the ‘radical left,’ he isn't. He was initially appointed to the bench by [former President George W.] Bush,” Keilar said. “You have them calling for his impeachment, that is something we didn't see on the other side."

ALSO READ:The new guy in charge of USAID doesn't believe in foreign aid

She added: “I do have to ask you, because to be clear to your point, Democratic administrations have also taken issue with injunctions, and that's something that actually made me think of another story that we're covering today, which was the use of the 'tush push' in the NFL,” which Keilar noted was a “controversial play that can give a team advantage when used effectively.”

“How can Americans take any of you seriously, but especially Republicans today, when the rhetoric is certainly different, when you're only against the 'tush push,' when the other team is using it to advantage?” Keilar asked.

The Republican replied that “it is not true that this is a Republican issue” and called for a “really bipartisan analysis to the issue.”

But Keilar still appeared unconvinced.

“We’ll see if you all come together against all injunctions,” she said. “I suspect that may not happen.”

Watch the clip below or at this link: