NBC's Chuck Todd clashes with GOP senator over Fox News 'propaganda'
Chuck Todd has no time for conspiracy theories.
The host of NBC's Meet the Press clashed with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) during Sunday's edition of the show after Johnson answered an impeachment-based question with what Todd described as "Fox News conspiracy propaganda stuff."
WATCH: @SenRonJohnson is asked why he winced & brings up a "conspiracy theory."@chucktodd: "I have no idea why we're going here. ... Can we please answer the question I asked you instead of trying to make Donald Trump feel better here that you're not criticizing him?" #MTP pic.twitter.com/41i7WPHQlF
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) October 6, 2019
The flare-up began after Todd asked why Johnson previously told The Wall Street Journal that he "winced" when Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, told Johnson that President Trump was withholding aid from Ukraine until Kyiv investigated matters related to the 2016 election. Johnson was evasive in his response and began referring to Lisa Page and Peter Strzok, who were discovered to have exchanged personal text messages criticizing Trump during former special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into 2016 Russian election interference.
That set Todd off, who didn't understand how it was relevant to Trump's communications with Ukraine, which launched an impeachment inquiry. The two eventually calmed down, and Johnson did explain why he winced, while also pointing out that he was assured by Trump himself that he did not withhold aid from Kyiv.