Virginia Rep. Dave Brat laid blame on the media on Thursday for President Donald Trump’s recent tirades against Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Asked by CNN’s Kate Bolduan on “At This Hour” if Trump himself is responsible for putting Sessions on the outs, Brat rejected this notion.
“No, the mainstream press has just been relentless,” Brat said.
When Bolduan disagreed, saying that the media did not force the President to tweet his attacks, Brat held his ground.
“I think you did,” Brat said.
Trump has made a series of critical public remarks about Sessions, telling The New York Times last week that his attorney general should never have recused himself from the Russia investigation. Trump proceeded to tweet about Sessions, describing him as “beleaguered” and “weak.” Many Republican lawmakers, however, have come out in support of the attorney general.
“[Trump] is frustrated because he does not have an AG at the highest level who can respond to the key issue that the media is drilling him on all day,” Brat said.
Bolduan, seemingly in disbelief, continued to reject the notion that the media forced the President’s hand, until Brat allowed: “I will concede the President did touch his keypad.”
“I feel like it’s the Twilight Zone,” Bolduan said. “Let’s get out of the Twilight Zone. Let’s get in reality.”