The media is attempting to do what was needed before the election, hold the Trump team accountable. Chuck Todd did a good job challenging Mike Pence today.
Chuck Todd slowed down Mike Pence’s spin
If Chuck Todd and the mainstream media were a bit more probing on Trump and his team, it is unlikely Trump would be president. One hopes that on his path to destroy the country’s safety net, they will do their jobs. Here is the exchange.
Chuck Todd: Some conservatives though, not happy. Mark Levin says, “When it comes to Donald Trump’s cabinet, it makes the establishment and Goldman Sachs great again. This is not Trump draining the swamp, this is the swamp draining Trump.” What do you tell Mark Levin?
Mike Pence: Well, I would tell my friend is what I would tell everyone around the country is that all of these appointees are signing onto the Trump agenda.
Chuck Todd: Very quickly, two more questions. On Carrier, why isn’t this pay to play politics? You gave a tax break, some people could say you gave a tax break to Carrier so that they would only send 700 jobs overseas. Sarah Palin called it crony capitalism. Why isn’t it?
Mike Pence: Look, we were heartbroken back in February when Carrier announced that they were pulling up stakes and taking all of their jobs south of the border to Mexico, closing factories in a couple locations in Indiana. I asked them at that time whether or not the state of Indiana could offer any incentives that are very routine in the competition for jobs in the country.
And they said, “Don’t bother. We won’t even want to look at incentives.” Make no mistake about it, the only reason Carrier is staying in the United States is because Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. And the leadership at United Technologies and Carrier.
Chuck Todd: This is the government intervening in the private sector?
Mike Pence: No. What happened here–
Chuck Todd: Why is this not government intervening in the private sector?
Mike Pence: Well, first off, let’s remember now more than a thousand Hoosiers have certainty in their jobs and in their futures going into this Christmas season because of the leadership of Donald Trump.
Chuck Todd: Seven hundred don’t.
Mike Pence: And I couldn’t be more grateful for that.
Chuck Todd: Seven hundred don’t.
Mike Pence: And the people of Indiana couldn’t be more grateful for that. Well, look, I know the glass-is-half-empty tendency of many in the media.
Chuck Todd: Well, it’s not about the media, sir.
Mike Pence: But what you saw here, what you saw happen here–
Chuck Todd: The media, hitting the media is always a crutch for you guys. It’s– This is not about the media.
Mike Pence: It’s not a, it’s not a crutch.
Chuck Todd: There is seven–