CNN's Kaitlan Collins cut off a congressman while he was in mid-sentence to correct him on-air as he was knocking his Democratic colleagues across the aisle.
The anchor of "The Source" welcomed Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) to understand from him why the House Republicans' effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was brought to the floor when they didn't have the votes — being the final tally was 214-216.
"Well, there could be a lot of reasons," he started. "Republicans generally don't use the carrot or the stick like the Democrats have done in the past."
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"You've seen on the floor where votes have been dragged out and they circle them in leadership and whisper in their ear and tell them things that they maybe are not too comfortable hearing, but we don't do that. We allow for the free-thinking —"
That's when Collins pulled the needle off the record.
"Actually, congressman," she said.
But Burchett didn't hear her yet, saying: "And frankly I just —"
Collins continued, "Congressman, I want to hear your answer, and I like to let people talk when they're a guest on this show, but I do have to say there were reports that people were going up to Congressman Mike Gallagher after he had voted against impeachment."
That revelation didn't seem to bother Burchett, who voted in favor of impeaching Mayorkas.
"Oh, sure," he said. "I'm sure there were. But it wasn't any orchestrated thing. It was different people."
The tension boiled over into a tempestuous scene where the vote was tied 215-215 and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) was then met by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who chief sponsored the effort, and others to attempt to try and sway him to support it.
He refused.
In the dizzying situation, Burchett said he asked colleagues, one of them being Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), about Gallagher, and he was informed nobody knew.
He then suggested going against the impeachment will hurt the lawmaker when they have to face their constituents.
"But obviously, the speaker knows that these folks will go home and they do know the lack of popularity that they have, this vote will have with the base," he said. "I suspect we'll be coming back next week and you'll probably see a different outcome."
